Howl of The Trickster: Pack Seeker
by DragonChild157
Summary: It's been a couple weeks since Coyote fell into the alligator pit in the sewers, and neither hide nor hair has been seen of him since. The team and League are in Gotham to oversee the Gotham Parade of Foreign Dignitaries, but things take an interesting turn when Superman and Conner are kidnapped by an unkown villian. What happend? And what part will a certain coyote trickster play?
1. All According To Plan

Welcome back to the "Howl of The Trickster" series part 2! Hope you like!

**Boring Disclaimer:** I do not now, nor have I ever profitted from this (though that would be cool if I could!). Nor have I ever stolen anyone else's s***. All recognizable characters, places, and the parade of dignitaries belong to their respective owners. The story, Coyote, and his hyena belong to me however! So don't touch!

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ENJOY!

* * *

_**Ok, please don't think I'm dense or anything, but could someone explain what exactly we're doing here? **_Zatanna thought across the psychic link.

She was down amongst the crowd with Black Canary, both women wearing trench coats to hide their uniforms.

She craned her neck to see over the heads of the people in front of her, desperately trying to follow Canary's lead as the taller more experienced crime fighter pushed her way closer to the police barricades.

Robin peered down at the crowds from his vantage point on the roof beside Batman. _**It's the Gotham Parade of Foreign Dignitaries. Half the U.N. delegates will be riding in the cars going through the parade today. **_

Artemis shook her head.

She was stationed on a balcony with Green Arrow, about three floors up in a hotel overlooking the parade route. _**Those delegates are gonna be wide open. This parade route is going to make them sitting ducks! Seriously, could they be served up on a **_**bigger **_**silver platter? **_

Wally snorted.

_**Not unless you put an apple in their mouths. **_He answered, adjusting the collar of his windbreaker so it hid the cowl of his uniform.

He stepped closer to his uncle, who was going through much the same process. Those lightning bolts on the sides of their cowls looked cool but they could be a real pain sometimes!

From above them in the bio ship with her uncle M'Gann frowned. _**If this is so dangerous, how come they still have this parade? **_

_**I have no idea. **_Robin answered. _**But for whatever reason the mayor sanctions it and they do this every year.**_

Conner shook his head, glancing at Superman. _**Then they're idiots. **_

Despite the man of steel's private protests to Batman, clone and Kryptonian had been paired together. The tension between the two of them was so palpable Conner felt certain you could cut it with a knife.

_**Hasn't anyone pointed out how dangerous this is for them? **_

_**They have been made aware. **_Kaldur answered from his own hiding place with Aquaman. _**They simply choose to do so despite the danger. Perhaps to prove that they are not afraid to face their fears, and to stand up to those who would prey on the fearful. That is why we are here with our mentors, to see to it that their vulnerability is not exploited.**_

There was a long moment of silence, each observing their own part of the as yet untraveled parade route.

_**Conner? Are you doing ok…? **_M'Gann asked hesitantly.

The clone glanced at the man of steel and away again, quietly chewing the inside of his lower lip as he leaned forward to rest his chin on his arms. He was exceptionally glad that Superman and the other leaguers weren't privy to the conversation. M'Gann hadn't included them in the link up, since they preferred to use the coms.

He heaved a quiet sigh. _**We're not speaking.**_

_**So…the usual then? **_Asked Wally.

Conner winced and nodded.

He and his teammates might have their issues at times, but it never ceased to amaze him how understanding and supportive they could be when it came to his parental problems.

_**We're standing less than six feet apart, but it might as well be six light years for all that we interact! I don't know what to do… **_

His team silently nodded, most able to sympathize, if not entirely understand what he was going through.

_**Afraid that's a question that's gonna have to wait till later Conner. **_Robin stated grimly. _**The parades starting up. There've been threats made so stay sharp!**_

"_Batman to all points. The parade is starting. Keep your eyes open for any sign of trouble. My contacts say there's a snatch and grab planned for today." _The dark knight said over the com's mere seconds later.

Wally grinned and rolled his eyes. _**Batman really should get in on the 'Boy Wonder Bulletin', it's a heck of a lot faster. **_He silently joked to the others.

Barry frowned at his nephew, having spotted the rolled eyes. "Kid, you paying attention?"

Wally nodded, readjusting his windbreaker again. "Yes sir, I heard."

* * *

Lex Luthor smiled as he sipped the clear, bubbly fluid from his glass.

Seated in the opulent interior of the convertible car that would carry him and the U.N. delegates he was to accompany, he had a front row seat of the parade. The two oriental delegates seated across from him were deep in their own conversation, and his Mandarin wasn't good enough to really follow what they were saying.

The feeling of his trouser pocket vibrating informed him that he might have an incoming distraction from the boredom. He fished his cell from his pocket.

"Luthor."

"_We've got the target in sight Mr. Luthor. Seeking final confirmation on our instructions."_

Lex smiled. "Very good. Take him down hard and fast. I don't want the Justice League involved if at all possible."

"_Yes sir. Mr. Luthor, I've just received word that our secondary target has also apparently arrived. Do those instructions apply to him as well?" _

Lex frowned thoughtfully. He had planned for this contingency, but given the taciturn nature of this particular quarry he hadn't been sure… Ah well, no matter. Both his targets were here, and he was prepared.

"Yes." He answered into the phone. "But be sure to accomplish your primary goal first. The secondary target is only an added bonus. Don't take the risk unless there's a reasonable chance of pulling it off."

"_Yes sir."_

Luthor flipped the phone shut and returned it to his pocket. Seeing the quizzical looks on his companions faces, he gave them a cordial smile. "My people back at Lexcorp had a few questions that needed clearing up."

His Chinese companions smiled and nodded, returning to their conversation.

Luthor sat back in his seat, taking another sip from his glass. Oh yes, things were proceeding quite according to schedule. As the car began to move forward, entering into the parade route, he glanced at his watch. If all went well he would have his captive within the next twenty five minutes. Possibly two captives.

All according to plan.

* * *

Conner snuck another glance at Superman.

The man of steel was floating a few feet above the roof of the building they were sitting on, apparently for a better view. A small, cynical corner of Conner's mind wondered if he was just trying to put as much distance between himself and his clone as was politely possible.

Because if there was anything the man of steel was, it was well mannered.

He didn't know who had raised his Kryptonian DNA donor, but whoever it was, they'd really done a good job hammering in the basic good manners and social graces.

No wonder he'd been nicknamed the 'Big Blue Boy Scout'!

He sighed and rested his chin on his arms again, leaning forward to peer over the side of the building at the parade below him. But more and more he found his eyes coming to rest, not on the delegates or the potential threats to their safety, but rather on the children in the crowd lining the street.

Specifically the little boys there with their fathers.

He smiled a little as he watched one dark haired little boy sneak out a bit further into the street to snatch a piece of candy thrown by someone on one of the floats.

Granted this was a parade to show off the various U.N. dignitaries, but they had to have something for the kids too. Hence the large, elaborately decorated floats and the giant balloons making their way down the parade route.

The boy's father laughed and scooped his little son up, ignoring the happy shrieks and squeals the boy was emitting, or maybe secretly encouraging them with a tickle or two as he lifted the boy up and set him on his shoulders.

But that sort of father figure was something Conner highly doubted he'd ever have to call his own.

_**How long is this parade?**_ He asked silently.

Wally cast an incredulous look in the general direction of the clone's hiding place. _**Seriously? Dude, it's been barely ten minutes! **_

Conner frowned. _**So? I've never been to a parade before. I don't how long these things are supposed to go.**_

There was a stunned silence from the team. Apparently parades was yet another experience that was an inherent part of childhood. A childhood he had missed.

_**Ok we're gonna have to fix that the next chance we get. **_Artemis answered. She pulled an arrow from her quiver and turned it over in her fingers. _**What do you guys think? **_

_**I say we hit up the Macy's Thanksgiving shindig. **_Wally answered.

_**I am interested. **_Kaldur smiled. _**However, I believe it would be wise if we continued this discussion at a later date. At the moment, we must attend to the safety of those placed under our care. **_

_**Right. Ok, shelving topic for later. **_Robin answered. _**And as to how long the parade goes Conner, the average running time for the Parade of Foreign Dignitaries is about an hour, to an hour and a half.**_

Conner heaved another sigh. Another hour to an hour and a half with the incredible man of steel silence.

_**Ok. **_

Superman cocked his head, his super hearing picking up the quiet sigh.

He watched as his clone leaned forward, watching the parade below. He followed his clones gaze. The boy was starring down at the parade route, but every now and again his gaze would slip to the people lining the street.

What is he thinking? Superman wondered, curiously watching. To be honest the clone perplexed him. And worried him. He didn't know what to make of this copy of himself. It was weird to think that there were now two of him…

Realizing that Conner had looked up and seen him staring he quickly looked away.

Conner frowned. Did Superman really find the very idea of his existence that repulsive? Movement behind the man of steel caught his eye and he started.

"Superman look out!"

Superman starred at him, confused, then whirled around.

But that split second of hesitation was all that was needed.

A large tranquilizer dart with a kryptonite tipped needle embedded itself in his side, the clear, reddish fluid it contained emptying out in a matter of micro seconds. The man of steel landed on the rooftop. But he only managed to take a few steps toward his attackers before he fell to his knees.

Conner didn't hesitate, racing forward to try and help Superman. _**Guys, someone just shot Superman!**_

_**Yep, them and every single **_**other **_**crook he's ever busted. They just can't seem to help themselves. I'm pretty sure everyone's shot him by this point. **_Wally answered. Nonetheless, he started to move towards the building Conner was stationed on.

Glancing back at his nephew, Barry frowned. "Wally?"

_**But Superman getting shot shouldn't be an issue right? I mean, don't they just bounce off of him the way they do Conner? **_M'Gann asked.

_**Everything bounces off him! Including common sense and decency when it comes to his clone. **_Robin grumbled in answer. But he was retraining his binoculars to check on the Super's as well.

Conner growled at their attackers as he listened to his friends comments in his head. He reached around, pulling the dart out of Superman's side.

The team was still fussing in his head over the way Superman treated him. _**They hit him with some kind of dart. **_He thought back, interrupting them mid-thought. _**And it didn't bounce off.**_

The clone suddenly rushed the men who'd taken his namesake down, dodging the darts as they came. The men yelled, hurriedly backpedalling as he bore down on them. He felt a sharp sting in his upper arm but he ignored it. Then his world tipped over on its side.

He stumbled and fell, crashing headlong on the roof and sliding to a stop only a few feet from his tormentors.

_**Conner! Are you ok? I'm having trouble maintaining the psychic link with you! **_M'Gann asked worriedly, tensing in the pilot's seat in the bio-ship. She didn't have to worry about it crashing, the darkly colored ship had a mind of her own. She wouldn't crash if M'Gann was distracted for a moment or two.

Across the ship Martian Manhunter frowned, picking up on his niece's sudden fear.

Conner groaned, trying to struggle back up to his feet. _**I'm hit. **_The world was spinning and tilting at crazy angles in front of his eyes. _**Whatever's in those darts is really strong. We need help here. **_**Now.**

_**Understood. **_Kaldur thought. He activated his com link. "This is Aqualad. Superman and Superboy are under attack. Superboy says that Superman is already down."

"_Understood." _The dark knight answered. "_Flash, Kid Flash, Martian Manhunter, and Miss Martian, go help them. The rest of you stay at your posts, we can't leave the U.N. delegates open to attack."_

"_Got it." _

"_Understood." _

The selected mentors answered back. Their protégé's were already moving.

"You knew what was going on ahead of time!" Flash called as he and Wally hurried from the crowd, pulling their cowls up and shucking their windbreakers and breakaway pants as they ran.

"Psychic link." Wally called back, pulling on his gloves. "It's better than the com's so long as there isn't another telepath nearby. The bad guys can't hack it. And there's no 'I'm in trouble but can't activate my com' crap. All you have to do is think."

"Clever." Barry answered. The two raced for Conner and Clark's last known position, their super speed allowing them to run right up the side of the building.

Wally smiled as he completed the jump at the top of the wall without a hitch and landed on his feet.

That had been one of the hardest things to learn when he became the Flash's protégé, that jump at the top of the wall that allowed them to land on their feet rather than run straight up into the air. Wally had lost track of how many times Barry had had to catch him because he hadn't nailed it just right and had fallen off the roof.

His smile disappeared as he surveyed the rooftop, now completely devoid of life either human or Kryptonian.

Heck there weren't even any of those blasted pigeons every major city seemed plagued with!

Flash zipped around the roof and came back. The scarlet speedster activated his com. "This is Flash. Bat's we've got a _serious_ problem. Apparently that snatch and grab you heard about was on the Supers!"

"Flash!" Wally zipped back to his side, holding up some sort of dart.

Barry frowned and grimly took it. "Whoever they were, they came prepared…"

* * *

Lex Luthor smiled and waved to the crowd.

He was about halfway through the parade route now, within' sight of well over a hundred thousand people. If all went according to plan, he would have the perfect alibi should the Justice League get suspicious.

He fished his buzzing phone out of his pocket and flipped it open.

"Luthor."

"_Mission accomplished Mr. Luthor. Primary target acquired." _

Luthor smiled. "Excellent." He answered, waving to the crowd and nodding politely to his Chinese companions. "And your secondary target?"

There was a proud, almost smug sound in the voice of the man on the other end of the line. "_Both targets sleepin' like babies." _He answered. "_We're loading them into the truck now."_

Luthor nodded. "Well done. Rest assured you and your men will be handsomely rewarded for bringing in both targets. Payment will be made in the usual manner."

He shut the phone and sat back in his seat, the smile on his face that of the cat who swallowed the canary.

Everything according to plan…

* * *

Oh the suspense! What oh _what _could Luthor's devious mind have in store for the supers? Review, and I'll tell you! Lol, I'll have chapter two up tomorrow, probably around noon.

Until next time...


	2. Unseen Allies

It's a bird! It's a plane! Nope, it's chapter Two! Lol.

Shout outs to: DoggieFanNumber1, SevenSilences, and Jasmine Nightshade and Robin For Life. I'm lovin' seein' all the familiar faces (names, lol).

DoggieFanNumber1, congrats on figuring out his identity, and I wont disapoint!

And Robin For Life, by the time Robin became Nightwing he could speak a grand total of twelve languages, so it's not a surprise to see something other than English come from a 'Robin' even if it did come from Dora (God I hate that little girl! Grr!)

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ENJOY!

* * *

"We're loading them into the truck now."

The mercenary couldn't help but give a smug smile. He'd done it. In less than five minutes he and his men had done the impossible. They'd captured Superman, and they'd gotten Super Boy as a side bonus!

And with a three man team no less!

"_Well done. Rest assured you and your men will be handsomely rewarded for bringing in both targets. Payment will be made in the usual manner."_ His employer said from the other end, and hung up.

He chuckled and flipped the phone shut. A slight sting of pain made him wince and touch the bruise that was beginning to really blossom on his cheekbone.

His 'employer' had assured him that the formula that had been provided would drop Superman in a matter of seconds, and that should Super Boy get in the way it would have a similar effect on the clone.

The bruise was vibrant proof that, while one was a clone of the other, the two weren't entirely identical.

The boy had held out slightly longer.

Glancing at his men, he was surprised to see that they'd only loaded Superman into the truck. The clone was still laying on the ground by the rear doors.

"What are you idiot's doing? Get that kid into the truck! Sure as the world the leagues gonna miss these two sooner or later and when they do they're gonna start searching. If they see that kid laying out in the open our goose is cooked!"

His second in command hopped out of the back of the cargo truck, giving him an irritable look. "In case you haven't noticed, that Superman's a big guy! If you'd help haul him instead of leaving us two to deal with it..!"

"Alright! Alright!" he growled, throwing up his hands to stave off the other's irritable tirade. "Just let me get rid of this phone and then I'll be right with you. You already put the cuffs on both of them, right?"

"Yeah, yeah…" the other member of their three man team grumbled as he climbed out of the back, waving his boss off. Bending down to grab the chain of the cuffs around Super Boy's wrists he paused and glared up at them. "You gonna help me or are you just gonna stand there?"

"Alright I'll…" the boss started, tucking the phone in his pocket when he stopped, frowning. "…Well. There's something you don't see in Gotham very often."

The other two followed his gaze and their eyebrows rose in surprise. Standing there in the entrance to an alleyway was a small grey and russet colored creature. The animal appeared to be a cross between a dog and a fox, and yet was neither.

"What the heck is that?" the man crouching over Super Boy asked softly.

"What, you never seen one before?" his second in command asked.

"No. Never left the city limits. What is it?"

His second shook his head. "I think it's a wolf. They live out in the country area."

Their boss gave an amused snort. "You idiot, look how small that thing is! It's a coyote you simp's!"

The animal cocked it's head, the corners of its mouth pulling back into a wide, mischievous smile. Grey blue eyes seemed to dance with mirth and amusement, standing out starkly against the reddish orange fur on it's face. It gave a yip, as if it were laughing at them. Then it slowly began to advance.

The henchman backed away, hurriedly dropping Super Boy's cuffed hands. Seeing the disparaging look his superiors cast him he shook his head. "Wolf or coyote, I don't care what it is! Darn thing gives me the creeps!"

The boss stared at him. "It's just a coyote!"

"Not _just_ a coyote."

The three froze at the unexpected voice, then turned. A pale white mist seemed so seep up out of the ground at the animals feet, climbing up in a column until it was almost six feet high before it swiftly faded away as if it had never been. All within the space of a few seconds.

In place of the coyote stood a dark haired teen with the same mirthful blue grey eyes.

He was dressed in buckskins, a deer horn knife belted at his side. The pelt of a coyote covered the top of his head and fell down his back like a cape, the animal's face forming a mask. A roguish smile tugged at his lips, drawing them back into a grin that was both amused and yet...menacing.

Wild.

"You," he said. "Are facing _the_ coyote."

The boss glared at him. False bravado coloring his voice, he took a step forward. "And just who're you supposed to be? The Wolfman?" He gave a raucous laugh, his men joining in.

But his laughter did not have the desired effect on this strange teenager.

The boy merely smiled at them, his wild smile never changing, and yet it seemed all the more menacing. He called over his shoulder, never taking those deep vivid grey blue eyes off the mercenaries. "Ah-Hi-Di-Dail Naomi!"

More mist leapt up from the earth, seeming to be blown forward from the alley by a wind that only the mist could feel. It faded away as it reached his side, and in it's place stood a hyena. Red, blue, and yellow war paint daubed it's fur, forming circles around the eyes and nostrils and various other tribal markings on its strong body.

The animal released the eerie cackle of it's kind, lowering it's head and eyeing the men.

And not a man among them failed to shudder when they saw the saliva drip from the animal's open jaws.

"I am Coyote, the trickster." The teen said, placing a gentle hand on the hyena's broad shoulders in a fond caress. His mirthful grey blue eyes suddenly became icy chips, and his smile suddenly turned deadly. He pointed a finger at Super Boy. "You have harmed one of my friends, and for that a reckoning is owed."

He drew the deer horn knife from his belt, holding it in a backhand grip in front of his body, the back of the blade pressed against his forearm. But the smile never left his face. "And the trickster never fails to collect a debt…"

* * *

Conner groaned.

His head felt as if it'd been stuffed with cotton, and then the cotton was set on fire. Was this what it felt like to get a headache? He'd never had one before but if this was what it felt like then he really felt bad for Wally having to go on a mission with one the previous week!

He opened his eyes, to find himself laying on concrete. A brick wall was a few feet away, and there was an old beer bottle laying on the ground right in front of his face. He wrinkled his nose and tried to pull away, only to find his hands cuffed together.

Memory of his capture came back in a sudden wash and he froze, wondering if his captors were still near. He lay still, carefully listening for any sign of them. They were still close.

He could hear four distinct heartbeats behind him. Three were fairly normal, but the fourth one had a stronger beat, and was faster. If Conner had to take a guess he would say it was the heart of a powerfully built man.

The proximity of the heartbeat and the warm, solid body against his back told him that said man was apparently back to back with him, possibly another prisoner of these men. But it wasn't Superman.

Despite their nonexistent relationship Conner had still memorized the Kryptonian's heartbeat, just as he had memorized the heartbeats of his friends.

He would know them anywhere.

He tensed the muscles in his arms, putting strain on the cuffs. He fully expected them to break, the handcuffs hadn't been made that could hold him. But to his surprise, these remained firmly in place.

Apparently they had been made after all!

Careful to keep his head still, his eyes flickered over what little was in his sight, silently assessing his options.

_**What would the other's do?**_ He wondered.

After several minutes thought he decided that M'Gann and Robin were the only one's likely to be able to get out of the cuffs. Wally was just beginning to learn to vibrate through stuff, but generally said stuff exploded immediately afterwards. The other's would have to fight with their hands bound.

He would have to fight with his hands bound.

Electing to go for the element of surprise, he suddenly rolled a few feet away from the man lying next to him and scrambled up onto his feet, whipping around to face his captors. But to his surprise, they all seemed to be gathered in some sort of cargo truck. They weren't paying the slightest attention to him. And though he could still clearly hear that heartbeat in front of him, there was nothing there.

There was a quiet huff of breath, as if whoever it was, was annoyed. Then there was the sound of someone getting to their feet and approaching him.

In the dusty ground in front of him, paw prints appeared. They walked directly up to the clone, and a cool wet nose pressed against his arm. It wasn't a person at all that had been laying against him.

It was an invisible animal of some kind!

He was still pondering this newest development when a hand gently grasped his arm at the elbow. "It's alright Conner." A familiar voice whispered in his ear. "But we need to leave before those idiots in the truck get wise."

Conner's eyes widened in shock, but he gave a nod, feeling almost numb. "Ok."

That invisible hand patted his shoulder and then he was being guided away, an invisible teen on one side and an invisible animal on the other, pressed close to his side. Glancing down, he discovered he was in for another shock.

He couldn't see himself!

He gasped, the hands guiding him the only reason he didn't freeze right there in the alley. Apparently his body was invisible! He didn't know how or why, but it was. It was unsettling. He shook his head, his stomach doing nervous flip flops.

And M'Gann did this on a regular basis?

They traveled silently through the dark streets and alleyways of Gotham city, the invisible beings never leaving his side. He had never felt afraid of Gotham, not the way his teammates did. There were very few crooks or villains that could manage to do him any serious physical damage.

But he still found their presence comforting in some strange way.

As they walked farther the neighborhood began to improve. The buildings were better kept, and there was less litter on the sidewalks and piled against the fences. He could see more people walking the streets, but his companions kept moving. Along alleys or busy streets, they never once faltered, though they were careful not to let the people bump into them.

After all, that would give the game away.

A splash drew his attention and he glanced down as they walked through a puddle. Though he knew to expect it, it still fascinated him to no end to see only one set of boot prints. On his left walked one set of large round hyena prints, and on his right the smaller petite tracks of a coyote seemed to dance into existence.

A little boy saw their tracks apparently appear out of nowhere and shouted, pointing them out to his mother, who paid absolutely no attention as she flagged down a cab.

Beside him, he could hear soft laughter.

Eventually, they came to a set of wrought iron gates. Beyond them, he could see grass and trees, and a neat little path running through them.

"Where are we?" he asked, pitching his voice low so a passing jogger wouldn't hear him.

"Gotham city park." the Coyote answered just as softly.

They didn't stay on the path long, quickly leaving the trail and striking off through the trees to the wilder sections of the park. Just when Conner was beginning to think the walk would never end, they finally seemed to arrive at their destination. A small hollow nestled in the depths of the trees.

Again, it was obvious that Coyote had spent some time and effort on this shelter.

Unlike his previous concrete construction, this den was open to the air. It was a deep, sturdy lean-to built from thick branches and roofed with sticks and thick carpets of moss and leaves. More leaves from the previous fall had been heaped inside the shelter and covered with blankets to form a bed, and there was a fire pit just inside the entrance, the coals safely banked.

Nearby, a few animal pelts had been tacked to trees to stretch and dry.

The hyena left Conner's side, and a moment later Coyote let go as well. The minute Coyote let go, Conner found himself visible again.

There was a muttered word from Coyote in a language the clone didn't know, and then the mist leapt up out of the earth again, fading away to reveal Coyote and his hyena.

The Indian boy raised his arms above his head and went up on tip toe into a luxurious stretch.

"Hello." He said with a lazy grin. "Long time no see."

* * *

_**I can't find him anywhere!**_ M'Gann wailed, fighting tears as her mind frantically searched for her missing boyfriend, the bio-ship now piloting herself.

The rest of the parade had gone off without a hitch, and now the entire league was out looking for their missing member and his clone.

They'd tried tracking them through their com links, but Conner's had apparently been turned off and Superman's had been found on the rooftop, discarded. Now they were relying on man power, and the abilities of the two Martians.

So far, there had been no luck.

_**Whoa, take it easy Miss M. That doesn't mean he's dead. **_Wally thought, checking every inch of an abandoned building with his uncle.

_**Yeah, it just means he's either unconscious or out of your range. **_Artemis agreed.

Robin shook his head, peering over a the side of a building at a cargo truck that had caught his eye. _**Probably the second one. **_He thought back at the others. He glanced at his mentor and pointed out the truck, silently asking if they should take a closer look at it. _**Nothing keeps Supey out for long. **_

_**Or he could be shielded. **_Wally added helpfully. _**Uncle Barry told me that some force screens can block a Martian's telepathy. Apparently Lex Luthor used one on Batman once and…**_

_**Wally! **_Robin cut him off. _**Not helping dude. **_

Wally winced, chiding himself. Of course that was the _last_ thing M'Gann wanted to hear. _**Right, sorry. **_

Robin rolled his eyes. Together, he and Batman crept around the sides of the truck.

The tires had been slashed, he noted with interest. Both tires on the driver's side had been cut, and he was more than willing to bet that both on the passenger's side had been cut as well since the truck wasn't leaning towards him.

Gotham crooks were just thorough like that.

He peeked in the driver side window, meeting the Batman's eyes as he did the same from the other side. They both nodded. No one in the front. That left the cargo bay for them to check. The two silently made their way back along the truck, peering around the corner to see the doors.

One was slightly ajar.

As one, the two leapt forward and grabbed the handles of the back door, flinging the doors wide and ducking lest there was a nasty surprise on the other side. Nothing.

The cargo bay was empty.

Robin shook his head, discouraged, but the dark knight quietly climbed up into the truck. Having both been captured on more than one occasion because they had entered a small enclosed space and had had the door slammed shut behind them, Robin remained outside on guard.

Besides, it didn't take his mentor very long.

Batman quietly stepped out of the truck beside him and placed a scrap of red cloth in his hands. "Batman to all points. I've got something. Two blocks east of the building they were on, the alley behind the nursing home." He stated calmly into his com.

_**What have you found? **_Kaldur asked curiously over the psychic link.

Robin grinned as he turned the torn cloth over in his hands. _**We found some sort of cargo truck. The tire's have been slashed and it's been abandoned. But we found a piece of Superman's cape in the back of it. This must've been their getaway car.**_

Zatanna frowned, following Black Canary as she led the way through one alley after another. _**If that's their getaway car, then why did they slash the tires? And how would they get Conner and Superman out of here? **_

_**This is Gotham City Zee. **_Artemis answered grimly. _**Bet's are on they didn't cut the tires themselves. It was probably just some two bit hack with an axe to grind. **_

_**Well, I think this is one case where we can be grateful to the scum of Gotham. **_Robin chuckled. _**Because they just gave us one phenomenal clue!**_

* * *

Yay, the return of Coyote! Next up, the team finds them and Coyote meets the league!

Review! The more reviews the better Coyote's chances of survival! (grins evily...)

Until next time...


	3. Meeting the League

Yay, new chapter! Lol, nothing like posting to FanFiction and watching The Smurf's tv show at the same time. XD

Shout out's to: Doggiefannumber1, Anonymous, and Kaen Okami! You guys make me feel the aster!

* * *

ENJOY!

* * *

"You look surprised to see me Conner."

Conner nodded, following Coyote into the lean-to. "A little." He admitted.

Coyote winced and nodded, seating himself and motioning for Conner to do the same. "You thought I was dead."

"No." Conner shook his head. "Batman found your knife in the alligator's nose, and we never found a body. We knew you weren't dead, we just didn't know where you'd gone, or if you'd be back."

Coyote chuckled. "I might've known the Batman would find it. He's always been so thorough... And as to coming back, we made a deal Conner. I gave you and your team my word, I won't back out now."

Conner frowned. "How do you know my name?"

"In the Sewer King's lair when Miss Martian dropped me, she called for 'Conner'. And a few seconds later you jumped off the catwalk to come help me. I just assumed." Coyote explained. He gestured to the cuffs binding Conner's hands in front of him. "I tried to get those off by the way. Sadly, I stink at picking locks, and the mechanism on those cuffs is pretty complicated."

"Thanks for trying…Do you know what happened to Superman?" Conner asked, suddenly feeling anxious.

"He's safe." Coyote reassured.

He turned and leaned back, catching hold of a blanket and pulling it away to reveal the still unconscious Kryptonian. "I carried him back first since he's the bigger of you two." Coyote explained. He gave Conner a tired grin. "I'm glad you were able to walk on your own, your mentor's _really_ heavy!"

Conner shook his head sadly, pulling his knees up against his chest. "He's not my mentor."

Coyote blinked, surprised, and he let the blanket fall once more. "…but I thought…with the name… and you wearing the Superman shield and all..."

Conner shook his head. "I'm his clone. The only reason he was willing to work with me today was because Batman told him to do it or else."

Coyote chuckled. "Batman buffaloed the man of steel?"

Conner gave him a look. "Have you ever _met_ Batman?"

Coyote grinned, though this grin never reached his eyes. "Nope! But I've heard he can be really creepy when he wants to be. He's got every crook on the streets with half their sanity in place shaking in their boots! I just figured someone like Superman wouldn't be afraid of him, Batman being human and them being on the same team."

Conner shook his head, his mind racing.

Coyote's heart had picked up it's pace for a moment when he said he hadn't met the Batman before. Coyote had lied. The question was why.

"The only one not intimidated by Batman is Robin." He answered dryly.

_**Conner? Conner? Where are you? **_

The clone jumped at the voice in his head, then smiled. "M'Gann's in range." He said aloud.

Coyote glanced uneasily around his den. "I'd rather the league didn't know where my den is." He admitted, his entire being tense. "There's an old bridge here in the park that spans a narrow spot in a pond. Could you ask them to meet us there?"

Conner nodded. _**M'Gann. **_

_**Conner! Thank goodness I found you! Are you alright? Where are you? What happened to you? I couldn't find you anywhere and..!**_

_**M'Gann, slow down and let him answer your questions! **_Artemis laughed.

_**Preferably in the order she asked them. **_Kaldur answered. _**Are you alright my friend?**_

Conner nodded, even though he knew his friends couldn't see it. _**I'm alright, but Superman's still unconscious. We're safe for now. Coyote's here, apparently he and his hyena rescued us. **_

Robin's signature laughter filtered over the psychic link. _**That would explain the slashed tires! Where are you guys? **_

Across from him Conner watched as Coyote carefully removed the knee high moccasin from his right foot, dropping it on the ground beside him.

He quickly and gingerly rolled up his pant leg to reveal homemade bandages underneath.

_**He doesn't want the league to know where his den is. **_Conner thought grimly. _**He wants to know if the league and the team would be willing to meet him at some old bridge here in the park. It goes over a pond? **_

_**I know the one he means. **_Robin answered. _**I'll tell Batman what's going on and ask him what he wants us to do. **_

Coyote was gingerly unwrapping the bandages now, hissing in pain when the bandages stuck to the wounds underneath. It had been weeks since he'd been bitten, and the wound was healing, but it was still quite tender. It'd been especially so the past couple of days, and he suspected it might have become infected.

"Hand me that jar would you?" he asked, pointing past Conner at a small baby food jar set against the wall.

Conner silently passed it to him and he was quick to unscrew it. Dipping his fingers into the messy pale green concoction inside, he carefully applied it to the wounds in his leg.

He grimaced, the salve stung.

"Are you alright?" Conner asked.

Coyote chuckled. "I traded my spare knife with that alligator, in return for letting me keep my leg. Unfortunately, he wasn't as careful with my property as I was with his. That's why I shoved it up his nose, figured that'd teach him a lesson."

_**Coyote is injured. **_

_**What? How? **_Wally asked.

_**He says one of the alligator's bit him. That was why he stabbed it in the nose. It had his leg and wouldn't let go. **_

_**That could explain why Miss M couldn't find him. **_Robin answered. _**He would've been tired after fighting the alligator and the adrenalin rush would've been crashing. Couple that with blood loss and he would've passed out! **_

_**How great does the damage to his leg appear to be? **_Kaldur asked, ever the practical leader of the team.

Conner frowned, allowing his eyes to shift to infrared. _**If a cut's infected, it get's hot right? **_

_**That's generally the way it works. **_Wally joked.

_**Then his leg's infected. He's putting some sort of goop out of a jar on it, but it looks like it really hurts. **_

_**Batman says to tell him we'll meet him there. **_Robin cut in. _**We'll be there in ten minutes. **_

_**Race you there! **_Wally answered.

Conner shook his head as the conversation devolved into a friendly argument over why such a race would or would not be fair. Coyote was already rewrapping his leg.

"Robin says he and Batman will be at the bridge in ten minutes."

Coyote nodded, rolling his pants leg back down and pulling on his moccasin. "We should get moving then." He got to his feet, then paused.

Seeming almost embarrassed, he turned back to Conner. "Um…would you mind carrying Superman?"

Conner shook his head and rose. He tried to scoop Superman up in a bridal carry, but the cuffs prevented him from spreading his hands far enough apart to hold him.

Eventually, they sat Superman up and had Conner lower his arms over the man's head until they were around Superman's waist.

From there it was easy to hoist the man of steel up across his shoulder in a fireman's carry. They covered him in a blanket to try and disguise him, in case they met anyone along the way. It was a pitiful effort, but it was the best they could do.

He patiently waited while Coyote quietly gathered up a few belongings from amongst the leaves and tossed them into an old weatherworn backpack. He shrugged the backpack on and doused the fire. When all else had apparently been seen to, Coyote checked the pelts tacked to the trees.

Two seemed to be finished, because the Indian boy took them down and tucked those in his backpack as well.

_**We have arrived my friend. **_

"Ready?"

Coyote took one last anxious look around, as if he didn't think he would be coming back, then nodded. "I'm ready. Let's go." He turned and led the way into the woods, calling for his hyena as he went.

Conner was quick to follow.

Now that he was looking for it, he could see the slight trace of a limp in the Indian boy's stride. Coyote was good at hiding it, but he was still clearly in pain.

"The team's already there." He said.

Coyote nodded, chewing on a corner of his lip.

Conner frowned. "What are you so afraid of? The league can be a pain sometimes but they would never hurt you unless you started it."

Coyote shook his head. "I'm not afraid."

Lies.

* * *

"I'm not afraid."

_**You do realize you're lying to a guy who can tell if you're lying just by listening to your heartbeat right? **_

Coyote's blue grey eyes snapped wide as Mini Me pointed that out. _**Crap! I completely forgot! He vouched for us that night in the ruins **_**because **_**he could hear a lie. Crap, if he was paying attention when I said I didn't know Batman he'll know I was lying! Crap! Crap! And double crap! **_

_**Well aren't you the eloquent sort?**_

_**Don't start with me…!**_

He shook his head, sneaking a glance at Conner. The clone was watching him with a look that clearly said he knew.

Coyote sighed.

"I'm not afraid of the league." He said softly. "I'm afraid of what they'll find out. I became Coyote to rescue Tony and take down the Sewer King. But the secrets of my past life have encouraged me to remain Coyote."

He stopped and turned, meeting Conner's eyes as he gripped the clone's shoulder. "If the league finds out, they'll send me back. I can't go back to who I was Conner. I _can't_. I won't endanger innocent lives again. I _won't do it_!"

He turned and stormed away, leaving a surprised clone in his wake.

After a moment, he heard Conner hurry through the brush after him. He smiled and lengthened his stride a little, insuring that he broke from the plant cover before the clone caught up with him. His hyena remained behind in the brush, obeying the last murmured instructions he'd given her.

"Coyote!"

Coyote's head jerked up at the call, and with a muttered curse he realized that the bridge was a heck of a lot closer to his lair than he'd originally thought. The team and various members of the league were coming his way, and he was glad to hear Conner step from the bushes behind him with Superman.

Miss Martian came flying out of the sky to throw her arms around Conner, hugging him for all she was worth. When he didn't return the hug she took a step back, confused.

"Conner?"

He gave her a rueful smile and jerked his head up at his hands, clasped around Superman's hips. "Coyote couldn't get them off."

"Oh!" Miss Martian nodded, turning to the rest of the league who had gathered round. "Robin, do you have your lock picks?"

Robin cackled. "Never leave the cave without 'em!" he answered, pulling them out.

"Allow me." Wonder Woman stepped closer, offering her hands.

Conner nodded and carefully lowered Superman into her waiting arms, lifting his hands back up and over Superman's head once he was sure she had him. As he watched her carry the man of steel away, Robin caught hold of his wrists and quickly picked the locks with a speed and skill that left Coyote somewhat envious.

"And I have to work at it to get a pair of _normal_ handcuffs open!" he teased as the cuffs fell to the grass at the boy wonder's feet.

_**And how often do you have to open a set of handcuffs idiot? Look at how often this kid probably gets kidnapped, of course he's gonna be good at it! **_

"It is good to see you alive and well." Aqualad stated, offering his hand.

"You too." Coyote agreed, accepting the hand.

Kid Flash looked around curiously. "Dude, where's your hyena? The gators didn't get her did they?"

Coyote chuckled and shook his head. "I would pity the alligator that made the mistake of taking a snap at her! No, she is fine. I asked her to remain in the brush until I called for her. I did not want to frighten anyone unnecessarily." He cast a pointed look to a pair of civilians watching open mouthed from the path.

Kid Flash followed his gaze and nodded. "Ah. Gotcha."

Coyote turned his attention to the mentors. With the exception of Wonder Woman, who was carrying Superman away and technically wasn't a mentor, the league members were watching him carefully. Looking him up and down and making their own assessments of him.

Deciding whether they thought he was trustworthy or not.

_**Whether they want to kill you or not. **_Mini Me corrected.

It took everything he had not to roll his eyes at that comment. He didn't think the league would be very understanding of this apparent disrespect. _**Mini, that's the upside of working with these guys. With a few notable exceptions, heroes don't kill people on purpose. **_

Nevertheless he ducked his head submissively and took a step forward. "I promised I would come meet with you if the team helped me rescue my friend. So here I am." He grinned impishly. "Now what are your other two wishes?"

Batman's eyes narrowed. "This isn't a game."

Coyote heaved a long suffering sigh and nodded, adopting a more serious attitude. "I know sir. _Believe_ me, I know. But humor has always been my way of coping, and mask or no mask I don't see any valid reason to change who I am. It's not worth it."

There was a long silence, as the mentors continued to study him and the team waited with baited breath for their assessment.

Eventually it was Black Canary who broke the silence.

"Super Boy informed us that you were injured. Would you mind if I took a look at it?"

Coyote cast a teasing look at Conner. "Tattle tale." He murmured. To Canary he added. "I guess I don't mind. I've been treating it myself and it had been healing fine, but I went fishing last week and I think I might've gotten it infected. It's been a little more tender ever since."

Canary nodded, understanding. "I'll have a look when we get back and see what I can do for you." She promised.

Coyote cocked his head. "Back?"

_**They're gonna try and trap us, I know it! **_

_**Stop being so paranoid. **_

"You're going to come back with us kid." The Flash said gently. "We'll patch you up and get a few things straightened out while we're at it."

_**Oh! See? Called it! They're trying to catch us!**_

Coyote's eyes narrowed. _**No. Not yet. If they were really trying to catch us they'd already have us in custody. They won't let this go, but they're trying to be nice about it and let me come of my own accord…Let's see how far they're willing to let me push. **_

_**You do like to live dangerously…**_ Mini Me answered, amused.

"And if I say no?" Coyote asked with a slight smile, arching an eyebrow. "I agreed to meet with you. I said nothing about accompanying you."

"This isn't up for debate kid." Green Arrow growled, getting frustrated with this enigmatic and constantly smiling teen. "Either you come or.."

He suddenly took a step towards the boy and Coyote reacted instinctively, the deer horn knife seeming to simply appear in his hand as he dropped back into a fighting stance. His grey blue eyes narrowed in icy anger, but that smile stayed unnervingly in place.

"Try it." he hissed.

"That's enough! _Both_ of you settle down!" Black Canary said sharply. She stepped between the two of them, one hand held out to both men. To Green Arrow she said, "And you wonder why you and Red Arrow never see eye to eye. Since when did we start threatening kids?"

To Coyote she added. "Look, no one here wants to hurt you. We just want to talk, despite all evidence to the contrary. You've been lucky so far, but that luck will run out sooner or later. And when it does, _we're_ probably going to be the ones to find your body. And believe me, none of us want that. So _p__lease_ let us help!"

_**Well, you wanted to see how far they'd let you push. Did you figure out what you wanted Sherlock? **_

_**I did actually. **_Coyote thought back with a silent chuckle. _**I wanted to see how they'd react. Green Arrow's a little short on his fuse, and so is Black Canary. But Black Canary will stand up for me if things started getting out of hand. So would The Flash. They won't let the league walk all over me just because I'm not tied to them, if I said no to joining their little group. I'm not sure of Aquaman or the Martian.**_

_**And the Batman? **_

_**You and I both know where I stand with him. **_

_**Unfortunately. **_

Coyote slowly eased out of his fighting crouch, though he retained his blade in his right hand. "…I apologize. You must understand, I'm very wary of being trapped. I've been…caged, on several occasions, and it's not an experience I'd like to repeat."

The Flash raised his eyebrows. "Caged? Who caught you kid?" seeing the hesitant look in the teen's eyes, he nodded. "Right, we'll talk about it later. For now we need to get moving, we're kind of attracting a crowd." He grinned and glanced in the general direction of the growing crowd of onlookers.

Coyote nodded. "Ok."

"Um, dude? You gonna call your hyena?" Wally asked, grinning.

Coyote arched an eyebrow at the speedster's unusual interest in his four legged friend, but he nodded. "Ah-Hi-Di-Dail Naomi." He called.

He heard the sudden intake of breath and he smiled as the mist leapt up from the ground and seemed to blow towards him, fading away to reveal his dear friend. It had taken him some time to perfect that little trick with his pet, that was why he'd had to distract the team that first night they'd met.

He'd since learned how to extend that particular ability to include her.

_**The looks on their faces when you or that darn mutt go and appear out of nowhere just never gets old. **_Mini Me chortled.

_**Well, well what do ya know, **_Coyote answered. _**You and my inner deviant actually agree on something!**_

_**I **_**am **_**your inner deviant!**_

"With a few exceptions, all my belongings are gathered." Coyote said aloud. "We are ready to leave whenever you are."

He saw Batman's eyes narrow, and he knew the man suspected that something was up, but the dark knight didn't say a word. He merely turned and stalked away, calling over his shoulder for Robin to bring the cuffs that had bound Super Boy.

Robin quickly scooped them up and scampered after his mentor, strongly reminding his audience of a mischievous monkey.

Coyote quietly slipped his fingers into the thick black mane of his hyena, scratching that spot along the back of her neck that she liked so much. He stepped forward, murmuring softly to her in his own tongue, no instructions just…just moral support.

He was stepping off into the unknown yet again, and he both wanted and _needed_ the comfort and companionship the familiar animal provided.

_**Having second thoughts about becoming a great white warrior? **_Mini Me snidely teased.

Coyote squared his shoulders, his steps becoming firm and sure as he walked alongside the team. He ignored the stares coming from the gawking civilians, instead focusing on the warm fur and regular heartbeat pulsing beneath his fingers.

_**What's done is done. **_He answered. _**I can't change the past. It doesn't matter how much I want to. I **_**won't **_**waste my time with regrets. Danae wouldn't want me to. **_

Mini Me actually sighed a little at that. Saddened. _**No. **_He silently agreed. _**Danae wouldn't. **_

Coyote's eyes widened.

Mini Me rarely agreed with him, especially when it came to his choice of friends and the attachments he formed with the people, or animals around him. To have the spiteful corner of his psych actually _agree_ with him on Danae…it was mind boggling.

_**I still say you're an idiot though. **_

_**Ah, there we go. **_He thought with a smile. _**Blown mind instantly restored. **_

_**Yeah? Well Mr. Blown mind, you might want to pay attention where you're going. **_

_**What? **_

Coyote blinked, refocusing on the world around him as he realized he'd been depending solely on the hyena's guidance. In front of him, a grey ramp led up to a door hanging in mid air. It was into this that the team was leading him. Whispering reassuringly to the hyena, he followed their example.

* * *

M'Gann was seated in the pilot's seat as Coyote came aboard with his hyena, her hands resting on the two glowing blue white spheres that served as the controls for the bio-ship. Technically the Martian girl didn't need to be touching the spheres to guide her ship, but it enhanced her control to do so.

_**Um, Megs? We're gonna need a whole lot more seats. **_Artemis thought over the psychic link.

_**I can do that. **_M'Gann thought back.

All around the main cockpit new seats morphed up out of the floor. It would be a little crowded, but manageable. Somehow M'Gann didn't think any of the leaguers would want to sit in the back room that doubled as the ship's cargo bay and medical center, depending on what there was a need for. Not while there was a stranger seated up here with the teenagers they were responsible for.

_**Ask and ye shall receive. **_Zatanna joked, taking her seat. Leaning over, she patted the seat next to her. "You can sit by me Coyote. We don't really have assigned seats."

The Indian boy smiled and sat down in the seat, giving a startled yelp when the seat belts snaked down to cross over his chest and fasten him in.

Beside him, the hyena settled down close to his seat, giving off a nervous whine.

"Aww, you ok sweetheart?" Robin asked as he walked past to get to his customary seat. He reached down to pet the animal, like he had in the sewer tunnels.

He registered the warning signs too late to get out of the way.

The hyena's low warning growl morphed into a full out angry snarl she suddenly whipped around and brought those powerful jaws down on his hand.

Robin yelled, instinctively trying to pull his hand away, only to find his hand well trapped. He felt more than heard or saw Batman come up behind him.

"Naomi!"

The hyena froze at the sound of her friend's voice. Her ears flicked back, as if she felt guilty.

Coyote shook his head sternly and tapped the top of her head with a finger. Drop that, you know better." He growled.

The hyena gave him a shame faced look and slowly opened her jaws, pushing Robin's hand out of her mouth with her tongue. Those watching were heartily surprised to see that Robin's hand wasn't bleeding. He didn't even seem to feel any pain. The dark knight calmly caught hold of that hand and pulled the boy's glove off. There were a few marks from where her teeth had pressed against his skin.

Nothing more.

"You'll have to forgive her." Coyote answered. "For obvious reasons, we tend to avoid public transportation. This is a new experience for her, and the scents coming from this ship are somewhat unsettling. As if we were inside an animal." He stroked her head soothingly and she laid it in his lap. "You caught her by surprise. Don't worry, she won't do it again."

Robin nodded. He felt Batman's hand on his shoulder and he cast a reassuring smile back to the dark knight. He gently offered his hand to the hyena again, but this time he was careful to make sure she saw him coming.

She didn't move, allowing him to stroke her thick, coarse fur.

While the league and the rest of the team found their seats, M'Gann quietly called up another safety strap from the ship. A harness manifested itself from the floor and the side of Coyote's seat. Coyote cast a grateful look back at the Martian when the harness merely hung there, rather than fastening itself around the hyena.

That would've been asking for trouble.

He quickly fastened it around his pet, murmuring soothingly to her the whole while. When he'd finished he cast a smile back at M'Gann. "Ready when you are Miss Martian."

The ship rose gracefully up into the air, as if a hand had simply picked it up and moved it. Inside the ship there was only a very faint hum to indicate their movement, no loud thrum of the engine.

Coyote's hyena rested her head on his knee the entire time they were in the air.

Watching her, the team couldn't help but feel sorry for the poor creature. Even after they'd landed and Coyote had removed her harness, she stayed close to his side, pressed against his legs.

_**If she stuck much closer to him she'd be attached. **_Artemis silently joked.

The team and league stepped out of the bio-ship and onto the roof of a building. The alley was too narrow to land the bio-ship. Coyote looked around curiously, blue grey eyes taking in everything with interest.

"Why are we here?"

"Dropping off you and the league." Wally answered. Seeing the apprehensive look on Coyote's face he gave him a reassuring smile. "Nothing's gonna happen. Flash'll keep an eye out for ya, though you honestly don't need to worry about it with these guys. I know Bats may look like something you'd find in the dark and creepy part of the vampire's castle but the guy's not heartless. You'll be fine."

Coyote sighed and nodded. "Very well."

He watched the bio-ship take off again with the team then followed the league to the edge of the roof and looked down. Those who didn't have any other means of getting down were using the fire escape ladders.

He frowned and looked at the hyena. Under normal circumstances, he would either find another way down that she could use or carry her down piggy back. She hated that but hey, you do what you gotta do. With his leg injured now though…

"Perhaps I can be of assistance?" Martian Manhunter asked, having guessed at the teen's difficulty.

Coyote flushed. "Normally we'd either find another way down or I'd carry her. But with my leg still healing.."

J'onn nodded. "I understand. Would your hyena object to my picking her up?"

Coyote chuckled. "Probably, under the circumstances." He turned and wrapped his arms around her, one around her chest and one across the backs of her hind legs. He quickly lifted her and set her J'onn's arms, despite her startled protest. Pain killer or no pain killer the added weight had hurt!

"Shh, you'll be alright." He soothed, stroking her head to calm her. Then he turned and followed Black Canary down the ladder.

This was going to be interesting.

* * *

Next up, it's off to the watchtower with Coyote for a vigorous Q&A session courtesy of the league. What will happen?

Review! Or else things could get dicey...(evil smirk)

Until next time...


	4. Do We Dare Trust?

For those of you who celebrate Easter, I hope you had an awesome holiday! And to those of you who don't celebrate Easter, I hope you guys had a fantabulous normal day. :D

Shout outs to: DoggieFanNumber1, and SevenSilences. You guys are amazing! Cookies to you! (::) (::)

* * *

ENJOY!

* * *

"Do you think he'll be alright?" M'Gann asked as she piloted the bio-ship back toward Mount Justice.

Robin gave her a confused look. "Why wouldn't he be?"

M'Gann flushed. "Well… Just the way he and Green Arrow were almost at each other's throats when he asked what would happen if he said no…"

Artemis nodded. "Yeah, that was a little weird. Ollie's usually pretty laid back with kids." She shook her head. "Then again he and Roy had another argument earlier today, it would make sense that his temper would be a little short."

"Don't worry." Wally sat back in his seat, folding his arms behind his head. "He may not know Coyote very well, but Uncle B would never let anyone hurt him."

"Nor would my king." Kaldur added.

There was a long silence before Zatanna sighed and swiveled her seat around to face M'Gann. "You're still worried about him aren't you?" M'Gann nodded. "Yeah, me too."Zatanna sighed again and shifted her eyes to Robin. "Any chance you could hack into the league's security feeds?"

Robin grinned. "Does Myth Busters give Wally bad ideas?" he answered, keying up his holo computer.

Wally sat up in his chair. "Hey!"

Zatanna gave him a confused look. "I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say…yes?"

"Dude that was so not my fault…!" Wally grumbled.

Robin ignored the speedster, completely focused on the screen floating in mid-air in front of his eyes. "This would be a whole lot easier if I was plugged into the computer back at Mount Justice, or the Bat computer, then it'd be a synch. I think I can manage it from here, but I can't guarantee how long I'll have it once I'm in. Batman's developed an evolving anti-hacker program. I can beat it but it's probably one of the best challenges I've had in ages!"

Seated near the back, Kaldur tiredly rubbed his eyes. For some reason his team just couldn't seem to stay out of trouble, and for some even stranger reason which he could not fathom, he was usually in trouble right there along with them. He was debating on whether or not to say something, after all despite the trouble with Batman he'd be in later Robin would probably go ahead and do it anyway, and Kaldur was apprehenisve as well.

"Conner? You are the only one who has not expressed concern for the Coyote." He asked, noting that the clone didn't seem worried in the slightest.

Conner shook his head. "Not as much." He admitted. "He's figured out how to take his hyena with him when he turns into that mist or whatever. If he decides to leave, the leagues fresh out of luck. You can't cage a mist."

Wally chuckled. "Supey might be right, the league has no idea what all they've got on their hands."

"Maybe." Artemis answered. She suddenly grinned. "So what was all that about you, Myth Busters, and bad ideas…?"

* * *

Coyote stared at the dilapidated old phone booth, confused. "Would you mind running that by me again?"

**_A telephone booth that carries you away. Who do they think we are? Doctor Who?_**

Coyote had to work not to roll his eyes. **_I doubt it. Somehow, this just doesn't look like Tardis. _**

Green Arrow rolled his eyes. "Here, let me show you." He stepped into the phone booth and shut the door behind him.

_Recognize. Green. Arrow. Zero. Eight. _A computerized voice chimed, and a white light flashed inside the booth.

Black Canary pulled the door open again and Coyote's eyes widened as an interior completely devoid of Green Arrow was revealed.

"Where'd he go?" the teen asked.

**_You know better than that idiot, magicians 'never reveal their secrets'._**

"Watchtower headquarters." Flash answered. Seeing the semi confused look on Coyote's face, he grinned. "Look, have you ever seen an episode of Star Trek?"

Coyote nodded, wondering where the scarlet speedster was going with this. "Yeah, my friend's dad was a 'trekkie'. Why?"

"Remember their teleporters?"

"Yeah."

"Think of this as a slightly more limited version." Flash explained. "These'll only carry you to another zeta station, not anywhere you want to go. And they'll only carry someone we've authorized. Canary's making you a temporary designation so we can get you through."

"Finished." Black Canary answered, stepping away from the phone booth and motioning the teen in.

Coyote held his ground. "Will it carry her as well?" he asked, lightly pressing his hand against the hyena's neck to draw her closer. Flash nodded, and Coyote smiled. "Well in that case…"

He stepped into the phone booth, pulling the hyena close and having her sit so that the door would close behind her. "Beam us up Scotty!"

_Recognize. Coyote. A. Two. Six. _The computerized voice stated, the inside of the booth flashing white. Then it was gone and the two of them were standing just inside a round alcove. A grey and white hall stretched out ahead of them.

**_League headquarters, a la Death Star. _**Mini Me commented dryly.

"Come on." He said softly to the hyena, stepping out into the hall. "We should probably get out of the way so the rest can come through." He inclined his head in polite greeting to the emerald archer leaning against the wall.

Green Arrow nodded back. "That'd probably be a good idea." He agreed. "Unless you want one of them to land on you." He frowned when the hyena nosed at Coyote's gloved hand, asking his attention. "She gonna behave? Or are we going to have more issues like on the bio-ship?"

Behind him, Coyote could hear the computer chiming out the arrival of the various league members as they came through the zeta tube one by one.

He crouched down to pet her. "Considering all the new things she's done today I think she's handling it pretty well. She could've taken a bite out of the man hunter when he carried her down."

"Or taken off Robin's hand." The dark knight stated grimly.

Green Arrow gave him a disbelieving look. "Bat's, I know Rob's pretty small and this hyena's a pretty good sized brute, but I doubt she could take his hand off! You need to…" He trailed off when the full intensity of the Bat glare zeroed in on him.

"GA? Considering it's one of _his_ villains that keeps two of those for pets, I think he has a _pretty_ good idea what a hyena can and cannot do." The Flash joked. To Coyote he added, "That kind of impressed me, by the way, the fact that she didn't even leave a _bruise_. She just grabbed his hand. Most animals would've just snapped down on it."

Coyote's eyes narrowed. "Outside a fight, she knows better. She doesn't bite. Especially a friend."

Aquaman raised his eyebrows. "You form friendships quickly it seems, having only known Robin and the team for such a short time."

Coyote shook his head. "Not usually, no."

**_Watch it, or all those enigmatic statements you insist on'll come back to bite you when they give you away to the Bat-fink over there. _**

"Batman."

Coyote looked up, and was surprised to see the familiar figures of Superman and Wonder Woman come striding down the hall to greet them.

"You alright?" Flash asked, cocking his head at the Kryptonian.

Superman nodded. "Atom synthesized an antidote for the sedative they used. He said I should avoid trying to fly for the next few hours, my equilibrium's off enough that I wouldn't be able to fly strait. But other than that I'm fine." He motioned to Coyote and his hyena. "Who's your guest?"

Wonder Woman touched his arm. "Superman, this is the young vigilante I was telling you about."

"Oh."

Superman looked him over again with renewed interest. After a moment he took a step forward and offered his hand. "Then it seems thanks are in order. It's not often _I'm_ the one needs rescuing."

Coyote stood, accepting the hand. "You're welcome. I'm glad to see you up and around so soon. It worried me when Super Boy woke up and you didn't." A slight frown touched his face when he saw the almost imperceptible flinch in Superman when he mentioned the clone.

**_Conner wasn't joking when he said the two of them didn't get along all that well. _**He thought.

**_Well, chalk up another member to the 'Sons of Dysfunctional Fathers Club'._** Mini Me answered with a dramatic sigh. **_If you actually survive this and get to hang with those loser's you seem so hell bent on being chummy with, at least the two of you'll have something to talk about. _**

**_I doubt his dad tortured him and tried to kill him on at least three different occasions. _**Coyote thought back tiredly. **_And I'd never tell him anyway. Those are memories I'd rather leave buried._**

"Is…is he alright?" Superman asked hesitantly.

Behind his mask, Coyote's eyebrows rose. **_Maybe we shouldn't write Superman off as a lost cause just yet… _**"He seemed alright to me. He was able to walk all the way back to my den on his own, and carry you when we went to meet the league. That's why I started to get a little worried when you didn't wake up."

"Hmm…Interesting. We'll have to look into that." Black Canary murmured. To the others she added in a sterner voice. "I'm taking him to the infirmary to see about that leg. You can ask your questions on the way and after I'm finished. I won't have all six of you hovering around in the med bay getting underfoot."

"You're hurt?" Superman asked, surprised.

**_Funny how he could care less about his kid but the minute someone mentions the fact that a stranger's kid is hurt he's all of a sudden Mr. Concern. _**Mini Me hissed sarcastically.

"It's not from today." Coyote reassured the man of steel. "An older injury decided a change of pace was in order and got itself infected."

To Mini Me he silently hissed. **_Pipe down! The Martian Manhunter is standing _****right there****_! You don't know if he's listening in on our thoughts! And give the man a break, how would you react if you found out you had a child age clone? You ask me, Conner's lucky to have him!_**

**_I'm a corner of your psych that was lucky enough to get a mind of its own, I can't _****have****_ a clone! Not unless you suddenly decide to grow another lobe or something! _**Mini Me yelled back.

He was silent for a moment, then added in a softer tone. **_If someone did create a clone of us, you wouldn't leave him alone. You would protect him, just like you protect your grandmother, your guardians in witness protection, whatever their names were. Or that thrice blasted mutt of yours for that matter!_**

Black Canary had lightly taken his arm and was guiding him down the hall, mindful of the hyena walking at his side lest she take her for a threat to her pack mate. As they walked, Coyote glanced back at Superman.

**_He's not perfect. _**He silently agreed. **_But he's better than mine was._**

* * *

"So? What's the prognosis on his leg?" The Flash asked as the leaguer's entered the medical bay.

Black Canary finished wrapping the bandages around Coyote's calf and sat back in her chair, eyeing the teen sitting on the table in front of her while at the same time calmly ignoring her teammates behind her.

"Excluding the infection, the wound is healing quite well for having only been inflicted a few weeks ago." She stated. "What were you using?"

**_Don't tell her anything. _**Mini Me advised.

Coyote chuckled, much to the confusion of the heroes. He pulled his back pack from where it lay near the end of the table and fished the glass jar with his salve out of it.

"Family remedy." He answered aloud, showing her the jar. "It's harder to get some of the ingredients here in Gotham… or rather _there_ in Gotham, I have no idea where on earth I am now. But a city as big and weird as Gotham is, you can get anything if you know who and where to go to. I collect the rest myself outside the city."

He purposely dropped the jar back in his bag. The last thing he needed was for them to figure out what it was made of and trace him home through the ingredients.

"It's supposed to keep the wound clean and speed up the healing process." Setting the bag in his lap and holding it close, he cocked his head at the heroes.

"So. What sort of things did you want to 'sort out' with me?" he asked grimly.

**_Oh, you know…name, address, height, weight, medical history, head on a silver platter….shoe size? _**Mini Me answered sarcastically.

**_I won't tell you again, Mini…_** Coyote warned

**_Stop calling me Mini!_** Mini Me yelled back angrily. **_I'm not that stupid she mouse! _**

"Well your name would do for an opening act." The Flash commented with a dry grin, leaning back against the wall and folding his arms. "Maybe you can give an age and address for an encore."

**_See? Called it!_**

Coyote chuckled and shook his head vehemently. "Oh ho no!" he fingered the edge of his mask, grinning. "This mask is staying _right_ where it is. I know you guys are the good guys, and I don't mean any offense, but _that's_ not gonna happen!"

"We don't wanna get rough kid, but we can't leave you out on the streets. If you won't tell us something we'll have to turn you over to child services." Green Arrow stated grimly. After the incident in the park he was being careful to keep his distance, keeping his body language relaxed and non-confrontational.

**_Any suggestions? _**Coyote thought sarcastically.

**_Take two long flying leaps off a short cliff and call me in the morning…_** Mini Me answered dryly. **_You got us into this mess, so you're on your own._**

Coyote sighed. "I'm sixteen." He answered, looking away. "I'll be seventeen this coming July."

Superman's eyes widened. "Sixteen? That's way too young to be on the streets!"

Batman's eyes narrowed. "I've seen younger on the streets of Metropolis."

Black Canary sighed and nodded. "Most cities have them." To Coyote she added. "I do agree with him though. No kid should live on the streets. We need to know where you live. Either you can tell us and we'll take you home or, if there's some problem at home we can see to it you're placed someplace safe."

**_Yep, been there tried that. _**Mini Me answered ruefully. Apparently he wasn't above commenting, even if he was angry with Coyote.

Coyote shook his head again. "No. That's running from the problem, and it never works." He smiled. "Besides, I'm not homeless. No self respecting coyote is ever without a den for long. I have several throughout Gotham I can go to in a pinch."

Aquaman shook his head. "Are all residents of Gotham so cautious as to have multiple resting places?"

Green Arrow snorted. "With psychos like the Joker on the loose, wouldn't you be cautious?"

**_Who wouldn't? _**Mini Me answered.

**_Hell yes! _**Coyote thought at almost the exact same time, a silent shudder running through him as he remembered a run in with the madman. His hand crept to his arm, the sight of one of his many scars, this particular one left over from a broken bottle wielded expertly by the clown's experienced hands.

"It doesn't matter if you have some hole in the ground somewhere." Superman answered grimly. "The team showed us the 'den' in the old ruins. That's not a home, that's a hovel. Kid's belong in a home with a family."

Coyote glared at him. "You wouldn't be kicking up this sort of fuss if I was a quote unquote 'adult'."

**_Which you're not. _**Mini Me pointed out helpfully.

The Flash sighed. "But see, that's just the point kid. You're _not_ an adult."

**_Great grasp of the obvious…_**Mini Me commented.

Remembering something he'd read once, Coyote smiled. "I don't have to be. A sixteen year old can live on their own so long as they meet certain criteria. I believe a roof over their heads and an ability to provide for oneself were the two main stipulations. It's called emancipation."

Green Arrow arched an eyebrow at him. "Somehow I don't think sleeping in holes in the ground and eating out of garbage cans applies." He answered dryly.

Coyote snorted. "Do I _look_ like I've been hard up for food?"

**_You're dressed in furs. You really want them to answer that question?_**

Coyote ignored him. "And as it is, I've _never_ stooped that low. A coyote is pretty opportunistic for the most part, but even we draw the line somewhere." He got into his pack again and pulled out one of the pelts he'd taken off the tree before leaving his den. A good sized rabbit pelt.

He passed it to Green Arrow.

**_Yep, hand the prissy blonde dude a fresh animal skin. That's gonna end well._**

Coyote smiled, trying _very_ hard not to picture Green Arrow throwing the pelt and running away, screaming like a little girl.

"Since I was injured, I've had to rely more on snares and Naomi's hunting abilities." He chuckled. "That and the odd car or two. If you scare your quarry out in front of a passing motorist, nine times out of ten they'll hit it and keep driving. You just cut around the damaged sections."

**_Which is a smelly, god awful business, especially during the winter months!_** Mini Me grumbled.

"What animals do you hunt?" Diana asked, cocking her head curiously.

"Whatever's available and'll provide a meal." Coyote answered, his tone serious despite the smile on his face. "After I took to the streets, I would hunt in the woods outside town. I relocated to the park since the alligator attack, the game's a bit more plentiful than on the streets and it's closer than the woods. You'd be surprised what you can eat."

A feeling of revulsion came from Mini Me. **_…I still can't believe you ate those…_**

**_What? You don't like 'Rocky Mountain Oysters'? _**

**_…I'm not even going to dignify that question with an answer…_**

Flash took the pelt from Green Arrow, turning it over curiously in his hands. "Wow, this is really good. What is this, rabbit?"

Coyote nodded. "Yep. Peter Cottontail hit it off with a V.W. Rabbit."

**_...you know, I actually kind a like that line…_** Mini Me admitted begrudgingly.

Diana frowned, confused, and the Flash grinned. He leaned over and said in an undertone, "Got hit by a car."

"Oh."

Coyote smiled and accepted the pelt when Flash handed it back to him. "There are a couple people in Gotham who'll buy them, hand cured furs isn't exactly something that comes to market very often. I won't lie and say I get a good price for them, but it's enough for basics." He chuckled. "You should've seen their faces when I showed up with a pair of skunk pelts!"

Mini Me chuckled. **_It was still pretty funny to see that one guy's grandson grab it and go running off with it on his head to tell his grandma he was Peppy Le Pew though! _**

Black Canary shook her head. "All else aside, this doesn't qualify you for emancipation. Your dens and your hunting abilities aside, no self respecting judge or child services worker would condone it."

Mini Me snorted. **_Who said we _****wanted ****_a self respecting one?_**

Coyote scowled at her. "I'm not taking this mask off. Believe me lady, I've run the gamut when it comes to the court system and foster homes. You can say what you like, I'm not going to do it again."

From her spot on the floor his hyena gave a soft whine, distracting him. He trailed off, then smiled and offered his hand. The hyena immediately got up and shoved her head into it, giving a happy groan when he proceeded to scratch her behind the ears.

**_Ooh joy… yet another thing to worry about. _**Mini Me thought snidely.

"I found Naomi when she was a baby." He murmured. "Just a little black kit. Nothing remarkable. I took her home, raised her up into puppyhood. Imagine my surprise when she started sporting spots!" He gave a soft, rueful laugh, cradling her head in his hands. "When I found her, she could fit in the palms of my hands without too much trouble. Now her head barely fits!"

He gave the heroes a small, sad smile. "She was my first friend, out there on the streets of Gotham. My one constant companion for almost a year. I am all she has ever known… If I went into the foster care system, what would become of her?"

**_Way to go sappy on them._**

He shook his head. "Like it or not heroes, I'm a part of your world now. You can either accept me as I am and let me live in piece…or you can resolve yourselves to having to hunt me down and return me every now and again when the Coyote returns to his old tricks. I can always make another costume. All this one is, is a series of tanned animal pelts. The choice is yours."

The heroes were silent for a very long moment.

**_Great. Now you're offering them an ultimatum. Any one of these guys could easily break your neck! Why don't you make fun of them for wearing their underwear on top of their pants while you're at it?_**

"If you remained Coyote, what would your purpose be?" The dark knight's voice rumbled through the room, making Coyote and several heroes jump.

Coyote smiled. "That's simple enough. I like the cape and cowl life, and I want to help." He shrugged. "Call it what you will. A kid's taste for adventure or a punk's attempt at atoning for past sins. Whatever floats your boat. But I don't give up easily, and I've honestly got nothing better to do with my life."

The dark knight eyed him for a moment, then turned and stalked out of the room. "Outside. Now."

The rest of the heroes gazed curiously after him for a moment, then followed. The Flash grinned and patted Coyote's shoulder on the way out. "Hang tight, we'll be back in a _flash_."

Coyote blanched. "Now I know where your partner gets it." he teased.

**_Well, when you've seen one idiot you've seen them all. _**Mini Me answered.

**_Ah ha ha, I'll ignore that…_** Coyote thought back. "Don't worry, I won't go anywhere."

Flash nodded and quietly left the room after the others.

Coyote watched them go, ears straining to hear what they were saying, but it seemed either the Batman had led them some distance away or the walls were soundproofed. Knowing how cautious the Batman could be, he wouldn't have been surprised if he did both.

**_So…What's your brilliant escape plan? Or do you even have one? _**Mini Me asked sarcastically.

**_ I do actually. _**Coyote grinned, petting Naomi affectionately. **_And , gasp! It's the same failsafe plan I've been using ever since I _****became****_ Coyote in the first place! They start playing to rough, we simply up and disappear. _**

**_ Uh huh. And how's that going to work with the Martian standing right there? How do you know he isn't reading your thoughts right now? _**

Coyote shook his head. **_I don't. _**

**_ Then why aren't we booking it for the hills?_**

Coyote smiled. **_Because we want them to trust us. In order to be trusted, you first have to show that you're trustworthy. _**

**_ Really? Could you get any cheesier with the fortune cookie crap?_**

**_ Confucius say, if you look in fortune cookie you are pathetic fool who seeks advice from bakery products. _**

**_ ….He also say man who not listen to conscience is an idiot. _**

That prompted a laugh from the teen. "If you're my conscience, then slap a dunce cap on my head and call me an idiot." He answered aloud, playfully ruffling Naomi's ears.

* * *

"So what do you think?"

Flash jogged over to the rest of the leaguer's at a normal pace, coming to a stop beside Black Canary.

Green Arrow shook his head. "Kid's resourceful, I'll give him that. He'd have to be to survive on the streets of Gotham, even without the injury. But there's something off about him. I just can't put my finger on it…"

"That was my feeling as well." Orin agreed grimly. "There is much that we do not know about this young man. He could well be deemed a viable threat. It would be better to strip him of his mask and place him in a home. Preferably one that is more difficult to escape."

Green Arrow nodded. "I agree with Orin on this one."

"Guys, guys, chill out." Flash answered, making a calming gesture with his hands. "It's a scared sixteen year old kid we're talking about here. He'd good at hiding it, but he _is_ scared."

Black Canary arched an eyebrow. "He certainly didn't seem scared to me." She answered folding her arms across her chest.

"The boy _is_ scared." J'onn answered grimly. "But he fights his fear with courage, and humor."

"And maybe he's got a good reason." Flash stated grimly, pulling his cowl back off his head. He tended to prefer a face to face approach if he had a choice in a serious situation. "When I became the Flash, it sped up my perceptions as well as my feet. I don't know if any of the rest of you caught it, but the kid's got a lot of scars on his neck, the leg Dinah tended to, and what little I saw of his wrists. I wouldn't be surprised if the rest of his body's the same. Scars like that, wouldn't you be cautious?"

Superman frowned and turned his head, eyes narrowing a little as he looked through the wall. "He's right." He said after a moment. "Someone did quite the number on him. No wonder he's so wary of trusting us." He returned his attention to the people standing around him. "But that still doesn't change the fact that we've got to decide what to do with him. We can't turn him out on the streets, and I'd rather not just walk up and rip his mask off his head. We want him to trust us, not fear and hate us."

"So what are you suggesting?" Diana asked grimly. "Do we allow him to remain a vigilante simply because we are unwilling to force answers from him?" her hand strayed to the golden lasso hanging from her belt.

"No, that's not what I'm saying…" Superman answered, beginning to feel a little irritated.

"We know almost nothing of this young man." Diana cut him off. "How do we know that he is not the pawn of one of our enemies? I don't think we should risk it."

"Look isn't this all a moot point?" Green Arrow asked, rubbing his eyes. "Seriously, how hard would it be for J'onn to just go in and make him give up this crazy notion? Bingo, problem solved. It'd be for his own good."

Superman glared at the emerald archer. "For his own good or not, that's something that I won't allow."

Orin arched an eyebrow. "And the rest of the league would not have a say in this?" he asked, his tone falling into the sterner sound of a monarch. "Why?"

Superman switched his glare to the Atlantian. "Because if we do this to the Coyote, where do we draw the line? Yes, in the past J'onn has entered the minds of others to either control them or gain information. But at those times, we were on a mission, and they were the enemy. Lives hung in the balance, and we couldn't afford not to."

He folded his arms across his chest. "Coyote's a kid under our care. So far as we can tell, he's not an enemy, nor do lives hang in the balance. Entering his mind would be a breach of trust and an invasion of privacy, neither of which was provoked. Put simply, intruding on his mind would be wrong, something we'd expect a villain to do. If we want to call ourselves heroes, then we need to hold ourselves to a higher standard than that."

No one spoke, all quietly mulling over his words. They hadn't thought about it like that.

Barry sighed, running his fingers through his short blonde hair. Glancing to the side, his eye fell on the dark, brooding figure of the Batman. "You've been awful quiet over there Bats. You've gotta have some kind of opinion on this. Any thoughts you'd care to share?"

Batman's eyes narrowed. "There is another option that none of you have considered."

Green Arrow arched an eyebrow. "You might've mentioned that a little sooner…" he answered dryly. "What d'ya got?"

Batman ignored him. "J'onn. You've been monitoring the boy from the first. What are your first impressions?"

The Martian frowned thoughtfully. "The boy is very much what he seems. He regards much of the world with humor, as that his how he copes. He is flexible, adaptable to the needs and circumstances of his situation, a born survivor. But at the same time he is possessed of a strong moral center, and he is not easily intimidated. Coyote was genuine when he expressed his wish to aid us."

J'onn's frown deepened. "He spoke of wishing to atone. The deep sense of guilt he feels seems to bear out that sentiment. I would hazard the boy comes of a troubled past."

"And his reactions to us?" Barry asked.

J'onn turned deep orange eyes on the Flash. "He is wary of us. Not as individuals, nor does he fear for his life at our hands. I am not entirely certain of his reasoning."

Black Canary nodded. "And the team?"

J'onn smiled. "I do not think we need fear for them, as they seem to have developed a rapport with him. He harbors the beginning feelings of warmth and trust towards them. He is wary of creating close ties with others but, given time, I am certain that those feelings would grow into a strong friendship."

A slight frown touched his features. "With one exception. Coyote seems to have already formed a particularly strong tie to Robin. In a strange twist, Robin seems to reciprocate the sentiment to a somewhat lesser degree. I do not entirely understand."

"What's with the hyena? I mean, I know Gothamites seem to have a predilection with hyenas and all, but what are the odds of him just up and finding one?" Green Arrow asked.

"It would seem that the odds favored him then. He did not lie." J'onn answered. He hesitated, then added. "His tie to the animal is that of a protective brother to a much younger sibling. I know the circumstances are difficult, but I would not advise their separation."

Green Arrow looked to Batman. "So? What's this 'other option' you're dangling in front of our noses like a carrot?" he asked, beginning to get annoyed with the enigmatic bat.

The dark knight's eyes narrowed. "The boy is unwilling to return to civilian life, and there is still the question of the hyena. If we can't keep him from wearing a cape and cowl, maybe we can influence what side he chooses."

The heroes frowned, trying to understand what he was getting at.

Then it hit them.

"Mount Justice." Flash said, grinning. "We could bunk him there. Give him a taste of what a life in spandex is like."

Black Canary nodded thoughtfully. "And increased time with heroes his own age, teens he doesn't have to hide from, it might draw him out of his shell a bit more. Enough for us to learn more about him."

"Alright then." Superman gazed around the group at his friends and fellow heroes. "Let's put it to a vote."

* * *

Do you like?! Results of the vote will be forthcoming in the next chapter!

Review! The more love the fandom sees, the more likely Young Justice will get renewed! And by the by, there are six or seven petitions over on , one of which only needed five more signatures the last time I checked! Go sign them! Sign them all! The more support we show, the more likely Cartoon Network and Warner Brothers and DC Comics are to listen to us!

(Blushes and gets down off of her soap box) ...anyway...review...

Until next time...


	5. New Teammate

EEEEEE! OMG, have you guys heard? There's a chance Young Justice might get un-cancelled! The powers that be are having a meet and greet on the 11th to discuss the possibility of it's return! Nothing's set in stone yet, but this is a really good sign! Keep up the good work fans! Keep writing and e-mailing them, tell them why this show is important to you! But if you really want to get in good with them? Be polite about it, no bad language or derogatory comments. And compliment them on their willingness to reconsider, not many big companies would do this, they don't have to. Plus, aren't you more willing to do something when you're being complimented?

Shout out's to: DoggieFanNumber1, Secret00, and SevenSilences! You guys make me feel the aster, cookies for you! (::)

* * *

ENJOY!

* * *

_Recognized. Batman. Zero. Two. Coyote. A. Two. Six. Aquaman. Zero. Six. Flash. Zero. Four. Green. Arrow. Zero. Eight. Black. Canary. One. Three. Martian. Manhunter. Zero. Seven. _

Sitting on the couch, Robin's head snapped up and he hurriedly shut down his wrist computer. **_Guys, incoming! And they brought Coyote with them. _**

There was a rush of air, and then Wally was standing next to him, watching Coyote and the mentors come through as the computer chimed their names and designations.

" 'bout time." The speedster muttered under his breath, prompting a chuckle from his best friend.

The rest of the team drifted closer, watching their mentors approach.

Flash crossed his arms, a serious look on his face. "Kids…." He eyed them for a long moment, just long enough to make them nervous, then grinned. "…meet your new teammate!"

Smiles lit the faces of the teens, and they quickly came forward to welcome their newest member.

"He is here on a trial basis." The dark knight's voice cut through the excited chatter, drawing everyone's attention. His eyes narrowed as he looked at the Indian boy. "You will live here at the mountain, along with Zatanna, Miss Martian, and Superboy. The rest of the team live with their families. You will attend the hand to hand combat training with Black Canary and the team. School work will be provided, and you will be expected to maintain satisfactory grades in your studies. Do you understand?"

Coyote nodded. "Yes sir."

"You will live here until you come of age." The dark knight continued grimly. "At that time, you will be free to do as you please. You may choose to strike out on your own, or you may choose to stay. The choice will be yours."

Green Arrow smiled and folded his arms, looking pointedly at the hyena standing close to Coyote's side. "Either way, you get to keep your furry friend there."

Coyote smiled, his hand trailing down to rest on his pet's powerful shoulders. "So long as we are together, and allowed to help, we can live with the rest." He answered. Flushing a little he added with an embarrassed laugh, "And to be honest I wouldn't mind the instruction. Put bluntly my hand to hand is more likely to get me killed than keep me alive!"

"Umm…" Artemis frowned. "Coyote? Supe's?...you might wanna grab your dogs…" she murmured, watching Wolf slowly lumber into the room.

The massive white wolf suddenly raised his head, the strange scents of Coyote and his hyena drawing his attention almost immediately. Spying the newcomers, he quietly stalked forward, head lowered and hackles raised halfway.

These newcomers had yet to pass _his _inspection.

Seeing the massive canine, Coyote quickly buried a hand in his pet's mane. "I didn't realize you had a dog. This could be something of a problem…"

Conner frowned. "Why? And he's a wolf, not a dog."

Coyote winced. "Great. It's not a problem yet, but you should probably be ready to separate them if they don't hit it off." He sighed and shook his head. "Things just got a lot more interesting."

Wolf came to a stop by Conner's side, a low warning growl rumbling in his chest as he eyed the strange animal. Naomi answered in kind, her own hackles raising in warning as she took a step forward to put herself a slightly in front of her friend.

"Behave…" Coyote warned sternly.

Her growling ceased immediately, but her eyes never once left those of the wolf.

He slowly approached, scenting her more carefully. His head rose, ears pricking forward, and he lifted his tail high. The massive wolf was barely a foot away from her now, and he appeared to be confused, as if he expected her to do something. His hackles began to rise again and the rumbling growl began again in his chest.

What happened next caught almost everyone by surprise.

One moment the hyena was calm, almost placid. The next she'd released a loud whoop and snapped at Wolf, biting down hard enough to make sure he felt it then releasing before she did any real damage.

She lunged forward as if to bite again, and Wolf hurriedly backpedalled and landed on his rump, much to the amusement of his audience.

He sat there for a moment with a bewildered look on his face, then that growl was back as he scrambled to his feet. Naomi took a step closer, her own growl rumbling forth as she placed herself almost nose to nose with the white wolf almost twice her size.

Hackles rose and tails lifted as each starred at their opponent, though Naomi's ear's remained standing while Wolf flattened his.

"Should we separate them?" Wally asked nervously. He seriously didn't want to be in the immediate vicinity of these two brutes if the fur started to fly.

"Not yet…" Coyote murmured softly, gesturing for them to wait. His eyes never once left his pet.

After a very long moment, Wolf slowly raised his ears. The rumbling growls slowly faded away, and the two finally relaxed. Wolf sat and proceeded to scratch at his ear, while Naomi turned her back and quietly returned to her friend's side.

Coyote chuckled and stroked her head. "Well done dear heart…" he murmured to her with a soft smile. It was clear he felt proud of her.

"Umm…someone wanna explain what just happened?" Wally asked, staring at the two canine's in confusion. Wolf grunted and quietly moved to Conner's side, ignoring the rest of the teens, though he continued to glance at Naomi from time to time.

Robin laughed. "Hierarchy KF. Hierarchy."

Wally frowned. "What?"

Coyote grinned. "In a wolf pack," he explained, "the pack is a family group with a mated pair as Alfa. The male usually has the say. In a hyena clan, it's the exact opposite." He chuckled, fondly playing with Naomi's ears. "Even the youngest female cub is higher up the social ladder than the highest ranking male." He gestured to wolf. "Your wolf is smart. Most dogs we meet on the streets try for dominance and end up with some nasty wounds for their troubles. I've tried to break her of that, but there are just some instincts you can't teach them to ignore. It appears these two've settled on a truce. They'll be alright now."

"It appears you are ever full of surprises my friend." Kaldur stated, a small smile playing on his lips. "Should we expect any more from you?"

Coyote grinned. "Always. I am a trickster Aqualad, it wouldn't due to run out of surprises!"

"Well we'll leave you kids to get better acquainted." Barry laughed, patting his nephews shoulder. "Show Coyote around and get him settled, ok?"

The teens nodded, watching as Batman made his way deeper into Mount Justice while the rest of the mentors left through the zeta tubes, the computer chiming out their designations.

Wally grinned at the indian boy and gestured around. "So? What do you wanna do first?"

Coyote had opened his mouth to reply when Artemis calmly walked up and smacked Wally over the back of the head.

"Ow!" Wally yelped, dodging away from her. "What was that for?"

Artemis glared at him for a minute, then turned to Coyote and held out her hand. "My name's Artemis."

Coyote frowned, confused, and shook her hand. "Um… Hello?"

The others seemed to be cottoning on to what the archer was up to and were smiling.

Artemis grinned. "No, my name _is_ Artemis."

Coyote's eyes widened as he finally got it. "You mean your real name's Artemis?" the blonde archer nodded and he grinned. "Well that's unique. At least you didn't have to worry about getting used to a new name."

Wally stepped up beside her, slinging an arm around her shoulders. "Name's Wallace." He told Coyote with a grin. "But everyone pretty much calls me Wally. Wallace is for when I'm in trouble."

"Which means you'll hear it pretty often." Robin cackled. He shook Coyote's hand.

" 'fraid you'll have to keep calling me Robin. Batman doesn't allow me to tell anyone my real name."

Coyote chuckled. "I wouldn't expect any less." He answered with a grin. He nodded to the others. "Anyone else have a gag order?"

Zatanna laughed and shook her head. "No, just Robin. Being the Batman's son means if he's outed, so's Batman, and of course we can't have that." She teased. "The rest of us are mentored by people who aren't our parents or it just doesn't matter who knows our name because they couldn't trace us with them anyway. My name's Zatanna Zatarra."

Coyote nodded. "Pleased to meet you, again." He laughed. "But how come people wouldn't be able to trace you?"

"Because we do not have a life which they could trace us to." Kaldur answered calmly. "I am an Atlantian, and I have no civilian identity on the surface. Thus they cannot trace me." He smiled and offered a webbed hand. "My name is Kaldur'ahm. My friends call me Kaldur."

Coyote nodded. "I get it." Looking over at Conner he added. "I already know Conner." Seeing the team's surprise, he explained.

M'Gann blushed. "Sorry Conner." She apologized. To Coyote she added, practically bubbling over. "My name is M'Gann M'Orse. What's yours?"

Coyote flushed and glanced away. "I… I'd rather not say for the moment…I'm sorry, I know it's no way to repay your trust…"

Wally shook his head. "No sweat!"

Coyote starred at them, bewildered. "But…"

Kaldur smiled and placed a hand on the teen's shoulder. "There are no but's my friend. We do not judge Robin because he does not tell us his name. Nor did we judge Artemis when she chose to keep her name secret from us for a time. It does not matter what you call yourself, the person beneath the name, beneath the mask, has proven himself a friend. And that is what matters. You will tell us when you are ready, or you will not. The choice is yours, and we would not presume to take that choice from you."

Coyote gave him a grateful smile. "Thank you."

"You are welcome." The Atlantian answered. He gestured to the backpack Coyote was carrying. "There are many empty rooms here in the mountain. You may choose one for your own if you wish and deposit your belongings there."

Coyote nodded. "I'd appreciate it!"

Wally laughed. "Well then what are we waiting for? Let's get a move on!"

* * *

"How about this one?"

Coyote gazed around the room, taking in the rough stone walls, the twin sized bed set against the wall and the desk, dresser, and chair that were the only other furnishings. A door on the far side of the room opened into a small bathroom.

It wasn't any bigger than any of the other rooms they'd shown him, and the furnishings were essentially the same. But the room had been rounded off more, and the shape appealed to him.

**_ You like the shape…of _****course ****_you like the shape! It's friggin' round like an animal den! One of these days I'm going to turn around and find you trying to scratch fleas behind your ears!_**

He smiled at the others and nodded. "This will do."

The others grinned, clearly pleased, though the devious grin on Robin's face made him wonder.

They were short Artemis, M'Gann, and Zatanna, as Artemis' cell phone had gone off and she'd left to take the call while M'Gann and Zatanna had rushed off to rescue dinner from the stove before it joined the ranks of M'Gann's many burned culinary creations.

Robin opened a hidden keypad next to the door and punched in A26. The small screen above the keypad lit up and Robin gestured towards it. "This is essentially the lock for your door. Pick a four to six digit code and that'll be your key."

**_Well at least we'll get some privacy. _**Coyote thought at Mini Me, trying to appease that annoying little corner of his psyche. He quickly entered his birth date, noticing with interest that Robin made a point of looking away.

**_It's not like he isn't completely capable of hacking the computers and getting the code for our door in under ten seconds…_**Mini Me grumbled.

**_Stop nit picking. _**Coyote thought back. He hit enter and closed the panel.

**_Dinner's ready! _**M'Gann's voice called through his mind, making him jump. Had she heard Mini Me?

"I wasn't aware she was listening in." he said, his tone expressing his uncertainty.

"She isn't." Conner answered, leading the way out of the room. "She projects her thoughts so we can hear them if she wants us to."

"Better than an intercom!" Robin laughed.

"Come on guys!" Wally called, clearly eager to be moving, but restraining himself for their sakes for now. "You're gonna like it here Coyote! The girls really know how to feed a speedster!"

Robin snorted. "Like that's hard!"

Coyote cocked his head. "How do you mean?"

The boy wonder grinned back at him. "There's only one rule that applies to feeding a speedster, and that's _quantity _over _quality_!" He cackled, ducking under the arm Wally swiped at him and raced away, his redheaded friend hot on his heels.

Coyote shook his head, grinning harder than he had in a long time. "I think I'm going to like this place." He told Kaldur and Conner.

**_Of course you would, this place is a madhouse! _**

**_I would've thought you'd like it for just that reason! _**Coyote thought back, amused.

**_Who said I don't? _**Mini Me answered back. **_I just wish we didn't have to bunk with heroes! _**

They entered the kitchen to find all three girls setting the table. Artemis looked up, arching an eyebrow. "So?"

Wally and Robin stopped their play fight. "So what?" Wally asked, confused.

"Which room did he pick?" Artemis snapped irritably, though the smile lingering on her lips hinted at the fact that her irritability might've been an act.

Robin grinned. "Pay up Arty, you lost."

Artemis rolled her eyes and pulled a couple folded bills out of her armguard, tossing them across the table to Robin. "Should've known better than to bet against a bat." She muttered.

Wally burst into laughter and clapped Robin on the back. "Nice going dude!"

"What were you betting on?" Coyote frowned, confused. "Which room I would pick?" When the miscreant duo nodded, he shook his head, more confused than ever. "Why?"

Robin laughed. "Artemis said it would be two ironic if you chose that room, and I bet her twenty bucks that she was wrong. There is no way anyone could pass that irony over, whether you knew about it or not!"

"What's so special about that room?" Zatanna asked, pausing in the act of setting out the silverware.

Robin smirked, shrugging his shoulders. "Nothing really. It's just kind of ironic that he chose that one, considering which league member it used to belong to…"

Even Kaldur seemed oblivious to the original owner, as he gave them a quizzical look. "And to whom did this room belong?"

Wally burst into laughter. "Vigilante!"

There was a stunned silence, then the entire team burst into laughter, Coyote included.

"Cowboys and Indians…" Robin laughed, clapping Artemis on the shoulder. "Told you the irony was too good to miss!"

* * *

Wally grinned. "You girls really outdid yourselves tonight!"

**_His table manners are gross! _**Mini Me shrieked.

Coyote winced away, watching Wally dig into yet another piece of the meatloaf. **_…It's not _****that ****_bad…._**

**_…Your hyena has better table manners…_**

**_…true…_**

A hand tapped his shoulder and he glanced over to find Zatanna. She gave him a conspiratorial grin, watching Wally as he continued to talk to Robin and Kaldur.

With his mouth full of course, though that didn't seem to impede his oratory skills much.

**_Maybe they're just _****that****_ good at interpreting glutton… _**Mini Me snickered.

"When I first moved in here Robin said 'I know this is all very new and intimidating, but I promise, someday…you'll get used to watching Wally eat.'." Zatanna giggled in an undertone.

Coyote raised his eyebrows, his ever present grin widening. "He said that?"

She gave a slight nod. "Word for word."

He looked back at Wally. "…how long did it take you?"

"Forever. And not long at all." She grinned at the confused look he gave her. "You get used to the concept, and you get used to seeing him do it. But there's still this sort of sense of fascination and disgusted horror that just never goes away."

He chuckled. "I could believe it!"

Artemis had apparently overheard them because she leaned over from her own seat and muttered. "Makes you want to drop your jaw and just stare. Seriously, in between talking and eating where does he find time to _breath_!"

_Team. Assemble in the missions room in ten minutes for briefing. _Batman's voice stated grimly over the com.

All sound and movement came to a halt. The teens starred at each other for one long minute, then hurriedly scrambled to their feet. What little food had outlasted Wally was already floating to the counter or refrigerator, depending on whether it was perishable or not, and the dishes were being quickly dumped into the sink by the team.

"Not much advance warning is there?" Coyote asked, following their example.

"It depends on the mission." Conner answered.

"Yeah, though usually split second missions like this means we're in for some real trouble." Zatanna added, glancing worriedly in the direction of the briefing room.

Gesturing to herself she muttered. "Emutsoc ym ot sehtolc ym egnahc." Grey smoke surrounded her for a brief moment and then she was dressed in her uniform.

Coyote followed her, Conner and M'Gann out of the kitchen and down the hall to a room they identified as the missions room. Batman was waiting there for them. The large circular part of the floor he was standing on was glowing a pale blue, and it took Coyote a moment to understand what he was looking at.

"That's one massive holo-pad." He murmured.

A rush of wind blew past his left ear, making him jump, and then Wally was standing next to him in uniform. "Yeah, comes in handy. We usually use it to score one on one sparring, but the league uses it for briefings, and Rob likes the computer functions."

Once the entire team was assembled, the dark knight explained the mission.

It seemed that a Gotham villain by the name of Poison Ivey had set up shop in Central City, and Flash needed the help. With the league either tied up with other problems or on an off world mission, they needed the team to go to Central City and give the Flash an assist.

"You are coming with us?"

Coyote looked up, startled. He'd followed the team to the zeta tubes, lost in his own thoughts. Now he realized they were all watching him curiously, waiting for him to answer Kaldur's question. He smiled. "I'm a part of the team now aren't I?"

The Atlantian nodded. "You are." He agreed. "But with your injury…"

Coyote shook his head, cutting the Atlantian off. "My leg's been seen to, and I want to help." Seeing Kaldur's uncertain look, he gave a rueful smile. "If my leg starts to give me trouble, I'll pull back and stick to my bow. You have my word."

**_You're actually agreeing to fight from the sidelines?...Any chance we can fake trouble with your bum leg and follow through on that promise? It sounds a whole lot safer! _**

Coyote had to work very hard not to roll his eyes at the little voice in his head. He was very quickly learning that he couldn't physically react to Mini Me's comments as much as he normally would, not while he was with the team.

It raised to many questions. **_Safer? Yes. But a heck of a lot less fun! _**

Kaldur looked to Batman for authorization.

With the exception of Conner stating that there was infection, no one had made any mention of how serious Coyote's injuries were. He didn't want to take the Indian boy out on a mission only to find out later that Coyote had lamed himself in an attempt to be helpful.

Batman gave a silent nod. "He may go, but he isn't to engage directly. Station him somewhere with Artemis and have the two of them provide cover fire."

Kaldur nodded. He turned and stepped into the zeta tube. "Let's go."

_Recognize. Aqualad. B. Zero. Two. _

Coyote grinned and looked down at the hyena by his side. "Come Naomi. It's time we started earning our keep…!"

* * *

Review! Or Poison Ivy wins!

Until next time...


	6. At The End of The Day

Sorry about the long wait, life is being a pain. I've only got three weeks left in school, and in that time I've got to pass four classes, write and give a speech on how kids cartoon quality has gone down the tubes, paint to painting due on the first of the coming month, and bring my grade up in Survey of Art Renaissance to Rococo. On top of that my dog surprised me with a puppy who is now one week old as of Saturday! It's been a week!

Shout outs to: DoggieFanNumber1, SevenSilences, Wise0wl, and Anonymous. Cookies to you! (::)

* * *

ENJOY!

* * *

"All I'm saying, is that this is the fourth mission this _month_ where I've come home soaking wet!"

**_Does that kid never shut up? _**Mini Me asked irritably.

"That's all I'm saying!" Wally continued to fuss.

Coyote chuckled. **_Apparently not. _**

The mission had certainly seemed simple enough. Zeta to Central City, find Flash, take down Poison Ivy and come home to the Mountain. Simple right?

He'd later been informed by Kaldur that things were rarely so simple with _this_ team.

After his first five minutes in Central City, he found himself forced to agree with the Atlantian's honest assessment.

They had arrived in Central to find a good two thirds of the city overrun with all manner of apparently intelligent plant life. M'Gann barely had time to establish a psychic link before Wally raced off to try and find the Flash who, Coyote was surprised to learn, was apparently his uncle.

Wally hadn't been gone more than a minute before a huge vine managed to grab him and the team had to go rescue _him_!

Things had pretty much gone downhill from there.

After they freed Wally they had set out to find Flash and Poison Ivy, doing what they could to help the civilians and destroy the plants along the way. It had literally taken them _hours_ of nonstop searching and pruning before they finally found Flash and Ivy down on the docks.

She'd had some sort of massive plant creature growing there, and apparently she was planning on feeding Flash to it once it was big enough, leaving her with a hero free city to remake as she pleased.

Of course, the team wasn't going to let that happen!

And besides, no way was Wally going to let the insinuation that he wasn't a real hero go unanswered!

In the end it was teamwork that saved the day. Working in tandem with his newly freed mentor Wally ran circles around the beast, creating a wind vortex that sucked the plant creature right up off of the dock, roots and all! The two speedsters dumped it in the water of the bay, and from there it was up to Robin and Artemis to hurl explosives at it and blow the thing sky high!

Unfortunately, it turned out the plant creature wasn't as dead as they'd thought.

A large piece landed near the dock, of course. The creatures death throes demolished a good portion of the dock, dunking most of the heroes in the bay. M'Gann and Zatanna escaped because they were chasing Ivy, but none of the rest escaped.

Even Naomi took the plunge, and she couldn't have been more irritated.

After he was certain the other heroes were clear, Kaldur put a strong electric charge through the water in the immediate vicinity to make sure the creature was dead this time.

M'Gann and Zatanna had returned to the demolished docks with a hog tied Ivy in tow to find the entire team plus the Flash laying there on the pavement, soaking wet. Flash had taken Ivy to jail, and the team had returned here to the mountain to get hot showers and dry clothes.

He smiled as they walked down the hall towards their rooms. Cold and soaking wet, the team looked absolutely miserable as they trudged along.

**_Isn't it great? _**Mini Me giggled gleefully.

He raised his eyebrows at that, then smiled. **_Time to lighten the mood. _**

Putting a false, cross look on his face he growled in an irritable tone. "What are you complaining about? At least you don't look like a drowned rat!"

The team looked at him in surprise, as he was normally such a cheerful, easy going person. And then smiles began to creep across their faces.

The coyote pelt he was wearing was still dripping, clumps of fur standing out here and there in spikes. The ears of his mask were drooping a little, and the tail of the coyote pelt was slicked down, making it actually _look_ like a rat's tail. And plastered across his face was a massive grin, letting them know it was alright to laugh.

And laugh they did!

"Oh my god he _totally _does!" Artemis chortled. She stopped at the door to her room, keying in the code and opening her door.

Still stuck in fits of laughter, the others nodded and followed her example.

Coyote hadn't been in his room for more than a moment or two before there was a knock at the door. It was Zatanna, with what looked like an armload of towels.

"I figured you'd need these, since we haven't stocked your room yet." She said offering them to him.

"Thanks." He cast a rueful glance at the hyena. "I'm going to need them to get Naomi dry."

Zatanna giggled and nodded, walking away. "I thought you might. See you when you get out."

After that, he set to getting Naomi dry, going at his task with a will. She enjoyed it immensely, stretching out on the floor with a loud, happy groan.

**_Seriously? Could that mutt be any more spoiled? _**Mini Me asked irritably.

Coyote laughed, reaching for his backpack. "She could." He said aloud. "But I'll work on that later. Now it's time I got myself cleaned up!"

One hot shower later though, he found himself faced with a new predicament.

"Oh, this is not good…" Coyote murmured, rubbing absently at his face. He'd gotten so used to wearing his mask that going without it now felt alien to him. As if an essential part of him was missing…

**_Didn't you bother to _look_ at the clothes they gave you? _**Mini Me asked, sounding genuinely shocked.

Coyote grimaced, gazing ruefully down at the only other set of clothing he had, laying there on the bed. "Of course I did! Why do you think I took these? I told them to give the more servicable clothing to Tony and Thomas, they'd get more use out of it than I would, and I had other clothes I could wear."

**_And where are said clothes now? _**Mini Me growled.

The Indian boy winced. "Remember that night my backpack fell in the fire pit…?"

**_...you're joking! _**

"Nope." Coyote shook his head, picking up the jeans and stepping into them. "I wish I was though! Because this is probably gonna be one of the most_ embarrassing_ things I have _ever_ done!"

**_Why didn't you pick up some new clothes after yours burned?_**

Coyote paused, glaring irritably at the wall for lack of a better place to glare. "Have you noticed how much I've been wearing this costume? Besides, the money the pelts brought in went for what I couldn't find or make myself, and frankly clothes wasn't high on my list. They were right there above flat screen TV." He answered dryly

**_What trumps clothes? _**

He grinned. "Jeeze, that comment makes you sound like such a chick!" He pursed his lips thoughtfully. "As to the list…Salt. Bread. Fruit…"

**_What? Why is _****salt ****_at the top of your list?!_**

"It helps cure the hides for starters." Coyote answered, reaching for the T-shirt. "It keeps the meat from going bad, and it helps clean cuts. Sprinkle it on the gills of a mushroom and it'll tell you if it's poisonous or not..." he shrugged, pulling on his moccasins. "The list is endless. There's a reason some cultures used to use it as a currency."

He stood and stepped into the bathroom, taking a good hard look at himself in the mirror.

He'd taken Thomas and Tony to a local church who were known for helping the homeless, and amongst other things he'd made sure that they received warmer clothing to help see them through Gotham's icy cold winter months.

Most of the clothes had been picked over, and he and the pastor's wife had been careful to make sure the two boys had gotten what they needed. After that he'd chosen from what was left in his size and tossed it into a bag so the boys wouldn't think he was going without because of them.

Now he wished he'd just dealt them instead.

The jeans were low riders, exposing a good deal more flesh than he was either used to or comfortable with. They'd probably been dark once, but time and use had long since lightened them. The shirt was no more appealing.

He honestly didn't mind the fact that someone had lopped the sleeves off of the coal black T-shirt, he really didn't. It was the other modifications he had an issue with! The previous owner in their questionable wisdom had not only cut off the sleeves, but had chosen to take several inches off of the hem as well, cutting it off at the bottom of his ribs. He wasn't sure which he disliked more, the shirt or the jeans.

**_At least you've got the body for it!_** Mini Me snickered.

He sighed, lifting a hand to brush a lock of long black hair back out of his face. Something in the mirror caught his eye and he froze, eyes riveted to a long slender scar reflected there, revealed by his actions. It was one of many, and not the largest by far.

He quietly traced his fingers across the scar running across his ribs, the memory of helplessness, cold steel and searing pain as his father told him exactly how worthless he was rushing forward to the front of his mind. All too familiar.

That definitely settled it, he hated the shirt more!

He leaned against the sink and lowered his head, his eyes falling shut. It'd been so long since he'd truly looked at himself. So long since he'd gazed into a mirror and seen his own face. Not the face of a person he was pretending to be, or the furred face of a mask. Just…him.

It was refreshing, and unsettling…all at the same time…

**_You're gonna have to hide that blinding belly of yours if you're gonna parade around in front of the heroes in those cloths. _**Mini Me grumbled.

Coyote glanced down and nodded. "Right." He mumbled, and retrieved his backpack from the bedroom. In the bottom of the bag was an old blue glass bottle wrapped in a pair of furs, a cork wedged firmly down in the mouth of it.

That was what he was going for.

Once upon a time it'd held some sort of liquor. Now it held a dark brown, almost black, viscous fluid. He poured a small amount into his hand and proceeded to rub it into the pale white skin of his back and stomach. It dried quickly enough, leaving a layer of crumbly flakes on his skin.

**_I didn't think coyotes molted. _**Mini Me muttered dryly.

Coyote rolled his eyes. "Ha ha." He muttered.

He brushed the flakes off onto the floor, revealing skin that had been stained the same brown color as his arms, legs, and face. He applied more to his limbs, head, neck, and shoulders, making sure that he hadn't missed a spot and replacing the dye that had faded. By the time he was through, there wasn't a scrap of white skin to be seen.

**_Heh, and you said _****I ****_sounded like a chick. You just spent _****how****_ much time in front of this mirror putting on your makeup…? _**

"It's all part of the act." He answered.

M'Gann's voice suddenly spoke hesitantly into his mind. **_Coyote? Are you going to stay in your room? _**

Coyote frowned, then hesitantly answered. **_I hadn't really put any thought into it. Why? _**

Some of M'Gann's bubbly cheerfulness began to creep in over the psychic link. **_Tomorrow's Saturday, so none of us have school, and we thought it might be fun to have a movie night! Do you want to come?_**

**_I wouldn't miss it! Where are you?_**

**_The living room._**

He nodded. **_I'll be there in a couple minutes. _**

The bright bubbly presence he was beginning to recognize as M'Gann faded from his mind, and he reached for his backpack again, fishing out a curry comb. He'd work on spoiling Naomi with it in the living room during the movie.

**_Forgetting something genius? _**

He paused in the middle of tucking the comb in his pocket. "What?"

**_Oh, you know, it's not all that important but it could prove useful. It's kind of hairy, has four paws and a tail, and you use it to protect you identity. Any of this a-ringing a bell? _**

Coyote grinned, enjoying Mini Me's aggravation. "Nope!"

**_Your _****mask****_ you simpleton! _**

"I _know_! But the fur's still wet." he laughed. Again his hand dipped into his backpack, and again it came out with a pelt wrapped object. "Don't worry, I've got it covered!"

**_So you say…_**

He chuckled, shucking the pelts that wrapped it.

Revealed was a worked leather mask, dark reddish brown in color. It was shaped like the head of a coyote, not surprisingly, designed to cover the upper half of his face. Pale blue marks graced the cheeks and brow of the mask, long strips of blue leather hanging from the sides so it could be tied on.

It was beautiful, and very well crafted.

He pressed it against his face, tying the long blue strips behind his head. Once it was firmly in place, he glanced in the mirror yet again. And once more, it was the Coyote that gazed out of the mirror at him. He smiled and grabbed his moccasins.

A nervous feeling came over him, as if he were losing himself in all of this, but he shrugged it off. He wasn't losing anything. Just hiding it.

Clicking his tongue to call Naomi, he left his quarters and made his way down the hallway to the living room.

* * *

The team was already there, and he felt bad to realize they'd been waiting for him.

Artemis and Kaldur had claimed the chairs, while Conner, M'Gann, and Zatanna had all climbed on the couch. Wally and Robin meanwhile had taken to the floor with beanbag chairs. An empty one sat next to them, and Coyote could only assume it was intended for him.

All the teens had bowls of popcorn in their hands, and the T.V. was apparently ready to go.

"Sorry to keep you waiting." He apologized, dropping down into the empty bean bag chair beside Robin. He clicked his tongue and patted the floor in front of him. Naomi complied and he soon had the hyena sprawled out on the floor in front of him. He chuckled and scratched her shoulders.

Someone must've clicked play, because the commercials had begun.

There was a light tap on his shoulder, and when he turned he found a bowl of popcorn floating there. He cast a grateful smile to the Martian on the couch and took it, sharing a few pieces with Naomi while he was at it.

"I don't think I've ever seen this one before." He whispered softly to Robin as the opening credits began. Someone must've fast forwarded the previews.

Wally apparently overheard him because he leaned forward to look around Robin at Coyote as if he'd gone and grown a second head. "You've never seen this? Where have you been living, in a cave? This movie's the best!" he whispered back, apparently shocked.

**_Oh if only you knew…_**Mini Me snickered.

"I had a somewhat…sheltered, childhood." Coyote whispered back. "With one exception I'd never been more than twenty miles from home before I turned fifteen."

"Well then watch and be amazed!" Wally whispered back, gesturing to the screen. "This movie is pure genius!"

Coyote nodded and fished the curry comb out of his pocket. Setting to work on Naomi's coat, he glanced up in time to see the title flash across the screen and a huge grin split his face. "_The Princess Bride_?" he whispered, amused. A bunch of heroes watching a movie about a princess?

"Don't knock it till you've tried it." Robin whispered in answer.

"Very well." He whispered back.

**_Oh, you can rest assured, I _****will ****_knock it! _**Mini Me commented dryly.

* * *

"Ok, so we've got _Short Circuit_, _Tombstone_, _I Am Legend_, and _The Bourne Identity_. What are you guys up for?" Wally called, flipping through a small stack of DVD's.

M'Gann and Zatanna returned from the kitchen, both girls carrying a large bowl of popcorn in each hand.

"Popcorn's on!" Zatanna called, giggling as she set one bowl down on the coffee table. "Present your bowls for filling!"

Kaldur offered his bowl to her, looking to Wally. "I am unfamiliar with the first and second titles you mentioned."

"_Short Circuit _and _Tombstone_?" Wally clarified.

Kaldur nodded, accepting his newly refilled bowl from Zatanna.

From his spot on the floor, Coyote paused in his curry combing of Naomi. "I've seen them. They're both pretty good."

**_They're both pretty old. _**Mini Me sniped in answer.

Coyote ignored him. "_Short Circuit_'s a movie about a robot that get's struck by lightning, becomes intelligent, and goes on an adventure. _Tombstone_'s a movie about a famous cowboy named Wyatt Earp. It follows his life in Tombstone and the events leading up to his quest for revenge." He shrugged. "Both are pretty good. Personally I prefer _Short Circuit_, it's more of a comedy. But _Tombstone _is a classic."

**_And you're a kid playing 'dress up' and 'cowboys and indians' at the same time. Kid's don't do that anymore, they're playing on their Iphone! Face it kid, you're the classic! _**

Coyote smiled, cheerfully ignoring Mini Me's snide remarks.

Robin laughed and snitched _Tombstone _from Wally's hand and popped it into the player. "We'll watch them both, don't worry about it!"

Wally nodded, dropping the rest of the DVD's on the table and taking his refilled bowl from M'Gann. "How'd you like _The Princess Bride _Coyote?" he asked, flopping down in his beanbag chair.

Coyote smiled, feeding a piece of popcorn to Naomi. **_Well? _**He silently thought at Mini Me. **_You said you were going to knock it. _**

**_….I honestly have no criticism to offer…_**

Coyote chuckled, thoroughly enjoying Mini Me's lack of criticism. He grinned up at Wally and patted Naomi's flank. "You have our approval…!"

* * *

Coyote yawned, big and deep, stretching his arms up over his head.

"Come dear heart." He mumbled, roughly fondling the sleepy hyena's ears to get her attention. Naomi groaned, opening one eye just enough to give him a tired glare. He chuckled. "Naomi. _Come_. It's time we both called it a night. I hope you don't mind…" he added apologetically to the others.

Wally grinned and waved him off. "Don't worry about it, we probably won't stay up much later than this. Maybe a couple cartoons, then we'll probably hit the sack too. You go on ahead."

Coyote nodded. "I would stay." He said with a tired laugh. "But if I did, I have the sneaking suspicion one of you would have to _carry _me back to my room or leave me where I lie."

"Forgive us." Kaldur said, his face filled with kind concern. "This has been a long, hard day for you. We should not have kept you up so late. Do you wish one of us to accompany you to your room to see that you make it there?"

Coyote shook his head, his hand absentmindedly playing with Naomi's dark mane out of habit. "No, Naomi is with me, I'll be alright. And don't apologize for the movie night, I wouldn't have missed it for the world! It's been forever and a day since I could hang out with friends and not have to worry."

He gave a tired wave and silently padded away, Naomi walking close to his side pressing up against his legs.

The team watched him go, then Robin picked up the remote and clicked play. The theme for Scooby Doo filled the cave and the team glanced at each other.

**_M'Gann, if you would please establish a link. _**Kaldur thought, his eyes gazing absently at the cartoon.

M'Gann's eyes glowed silver green for a moment, then her voice spoke into their minds. **_Link established. You wanted Coyote left out of this one right? _**

Kaldur nodded. **_Thoughts on Coyote? _**He asked silently.

**_Did you see all those scars on his arms and around his waist? _**Artemis asked grimly, eyes narrowing.

**_Yeah. _**Robin's mental voice was a growl, even as he laughed aloud at the cartoon. **_You don't get those kinds of scars from crime fighting. _**

Zatanna frowned. **_Where else would you get scars like that? He looks like he lost a fight with a weed whacker or something! _**

Wally sighed. **_You get scars like that from someone who _really_ wants to hurt you. _**He answered softly.

Zatanna frowned. **_What? _**

**_If you look close, there's a pattern to his scars. _**Wally stated grimly. **_When you fight, you don't get hit in patterns, the bad guys hit you wherever they can. If he got those scars in a fight, they'd be littered across his skin at random. _**Wally explained, eyes hard.

**_So…what exactly are we saying here? _**Conner asked slowly.

**_We're saying that those scars are deliberate. _**Artemis answered.

**_No. It is more than that. _**Kaldur's face was grim as he finally turned his eyes away from the cartoon. **_Do you not remember his words back in the park? _**

M'Gann cocked her head. **_When? _**

**_His apology to Green Arrow. _**Kaldur clarified.

**_...He said he'd been, caged… And that he didn't want it to happen again. _**Conner answered after a couple moments thought.

Robin muttered a foreign word aloud. They didn't know what it meant, but from the tone the other's gathered that it probably wasn't one used in polite company.

**_Somebody hurt him! _**He thought at them.

Kaldur nodded grimly. **_There are too many scars for it to have been over quickly. I am afraid our friend has endured more torment than he would have us believe. _**

Artemis shook her head. **_If that's the case, no wonder he's a little leery of everyone. _**

There was a long moment of silence, broken only by the comical shouts of Scooby Doo and Shaggy as they ran from yet another supposedly terrifying but truly amusing monster coming from the T.V.'s speakers.

**_So what do we do about it? _**Zatanna asked softly.

**_We do what we always do when one of our own has been hurt. _**Kaldur answered.

Robin nodded. **_We _****be ****_there for them._**

* * *

Coyote yawned, hitting the lock button on the keypad inside his room. The others had explained that this would seal the door unless there was an emergency.

Secure in the knowledge that he was now safe from discovery, he untied the knots and removed his mask.

It was nice to finally have someplace where he felt safe enough to sleep without his mask. To let down every defense and just take it easy for a change.

He quietly padded into the bathroom. His backpack was still in there and he rummaged around in it till he produced a toothbrush and tube of toothpaste.

**_Money goes for the important things huh?_**

**_Dental hygiene isn't important? _**Coyote chuckled. He winced as the toothpaste stung a sore on his tongue, he'd accidentally bitten it during the mission. **_Besides, these were gifts from the pastor's wife. _**

**_Since when? _**

He leaned forward and spat it out. "Last time we visited her. You didn't notice me using it?

**_Obviously not._**

He shook his head, rinsing his mouth out with water from the tap. "You know for living in my head, _literally_ a part of my warped and _somewhat_ screwed up psyche, you sure do miss a lot!

**_I've got better things to do than keep track of your every move!_**

He snorted, grabbing a comb and making his way back toward his bedroom. "Like what?"

**_…give me a minute, I'm workin' on it. _**

He laughed, working to get a particularly nasty snarl out of his hair with the comb. "You do that!" His eyes landed on his hyena and he groaned. "Oh no…."

**_Reason number five hundred and fifty-two why we shouldn't have taken in the dratted mutt! _**

He sighed, tiredly running his hand through his long black hair. "Naomi….Naomi dear heart, you're gonna need to move over. I need to sleep, and Mini Me's gonna have a conniption fit if you don't share the bed."

**_Not that it's much of a bed. _**

He gave the room at large an incredulous look. "We've slept on everything from concrete to gravel and _broken glass_ and you're going to complain when someone gives us a _bed_? By this point I'd be happy if all they could give us was a box spring!"

**_The least they could've done was give us a blanket…_** Mini Me griped, refusing to be swayed.

Coyote groaned.

He flicked the lights off and stumbled to bed, crawling in and somehow curling into the knot of hyena already occupying the bed. She grumbled and grudgingly shifted, pressing closer to her pack mate and friend, resting her head on his chest.

**_Plotting._**

He frowned, stroking Naomi's blocky head. "What?"

Mini Me huffed. **_You asked me what I sort of things I had to do that was more important than following your every move. Plotting._**

He rolled his eyes. "Why, whatever are you plotting Mini?"

**_Mainly how to turn you evil. _**

"Dark side has cookies right?"

**_Exactly._**

Coyote chuckled. "I've been to the dark side Mini. They lied about those cookies…"

* * *

Thus ends Coyote's day. If you will note, all chapters previous to this have happened in the space of the same day! To recap: He saved Conner, got in a fight with GA, met the league, joined the team, went on a mission to central, and enjoyed some team bonding time. That's a pretty full day if you ask me!

Review if you want to see combat training with Canary next chapter! Either way there will definitely be more team bonding, because it's fun!

Until next time...


	7. Bath Time!

Surprise! Happy "Give Your Readers an Update" day! Hope you like your present!

Shout outs to the amazing readers/reviewers (and all around awesome people): DoggieFanNummber1, RebornWhole, and AFriend. Virtual cookies from the kitchen of Agent "A" for you! (::)

* * *

ENJOY!

* * *

"Oh good _god_ this stinks!"

Coyote winced and nodded. "Be thankful for your weaker nose Artemis." He answered, holding tight to Naomi. He shook his head. "Naomi, where did you find this filth?"

The hyena merely grinned in response.

Beside him, Conner grimaced, trying to hold onto a somewhat irritated Wolf. "I don't know."

Kaldur moved in to try and help Conner hold Wolf. "However they managed it, we would do well to see that they do not do so again!"

_Recognize. Kid. Flash. B. Zero. Three. Recognize. Zatanna. B. Zero. Eight._

"Hey Coyote! We got the stuff!" Wally called zipping into the shower room, Robin, M'Gann, and Zatanna following him. He skidded across the tile floor, his feet flying out from underneath him in a cartoon worthy fall, plastic bags flying everywhere.

There was a moment of stunned silence.

"…ow…"

_That _did them in.

Laughter rang off the tile walls of the shower room, making the canines lay their ears back at the loud noise. Trying to pull himself back together, Robin retrieved his best friend while those currently not trying to hold onto a wolf or hyena gathered his bags.

"What'd you bring us, Wall's?" Robin asked, ruffling the red head's hair.

"Looks like lots and lots of dog shampoo." Artemis answered, peeking into one of the bags.

"We also picked up lots of sponges, scrubs, collars so we can actually hang onto them…" Zatanna listed, going through another bag.

"…and treats to bribe them!" laughed Coyote, picking up a small packet that had been thrown from one of the bags in Wally's recent trip.

It read 'pork strips' on it.

"Good thinking Wally." Robin laughed.

Coyote grinned, rolling up imaginary sleeves. "Well? Shall we?"

Kaldur gave a small smile and nodded. "We shall. I have never washed a dog before. You will have to instruct me."

Artemis laughed. "Nothing to it Kaldur. You just get 'em wet, soap 'em up, rinse them off, and dry them."

The team starred as a completely alien expression came to Kaldur's face.

A playful smile touched his lips, the light in his eyes hinting at mischief. "We must get them wet first?" he asked, clarifying. Artemis nodded and Kaldur inclined his head. "Very well."

He drew his water bearers from his pack and nodded to Robin. The ninja grinned, reaching over and flicking on one of the showers. Kaldur drew the water to him and then redirected it, sending massive ropes of water splashing over both Wolf and Naomi and eliciting startled yelps from the animals.

"Kaldur!" Zatanna laughed, scrambling back out of the way as the water splashed down across her feet. "You're supposed to get the _dogs_ wet! Not me!"

"My apologies." Kaldur answered, the slight smile on his face saying that for once he didn't mean it in the slightest. "I was merely trying expedite the process."

"You wanna hand me that collar?" Conner growled, trying to wrestle Wolf into standing still. "He hates this already and we haven't even gotten to the worst part yet."

"Right." Wally grabbed the larger of the two collars they had purchased, removing the price tag and fastening it around Wolf's neck at super speed. "Ask and ye shall receive!"

Artemis shook her head, passing the other collar to Coyote. "You're not joking! Where on earth did you find a collar big enough for Wolf?"

Wally heaved a dramatic sigh. "It wasn't easy! Zee and I had to go to three different farm stores before we found a cattle collar big enough to fit him!"

"That's an achievement in and of itself." Coyote agreed. He carefully fastened the collar around Naomi's neck. She whined and gave him a confused look. He chuckled. "It's alright dear heart, this isn't a permanent accessory I promise."

She huffed and shook her head, as if in disdain.

* * *

**_Up to our elbows in wet dog scented lather…how the heck did we get ourselves into this?_**

Coyote chuckled, working the soap into Naomi's pelt with one of the scrubs Wally and Zatanna had brought back.

True to Mini Me's word, Coyote was up to his elbows in suds. Said suds may or may not have smelled of wet dog, that was entirely up to the nose of the beholder, or smeller as the case may be.

**_That's what a responsible pet owner does. _**He thought in answer.

**_Responsible pet owner my foot!_**

**_ You don't have a foot. _**

**_ Figure of speech. My point being, you're enjoying this you little jackanapes! _**Mini Me fussed.

He chuckled, purposefully lifting Naomi's head so that she was nose to nose with him. Of course she wouldn't pass up such an obvious invitation and proceeded to bathe his face and leather mask with kisses and soap, much to Mini Me's ire. "You have no idea…" he murmured.

**_You did that on purpose! _**

Coyote's smile never faltered as he accepted Naomi's affection. **_Absolutely. _**

"No idea about what?"

Coyote jumped, looking to Conner in surprise. He'd forgotten the clone had super hearing. He plastered a smile to his face. "Her first bath outside of a pond. She had no idea what we were up to."

Conner nodded, but he didn't seem convinced. "Right."

"She's certainly taking it a lot better than Wolf took his first bath!" Robin cackled, helping work the soap into Naomi's stomach.

Kaldur nodded, lathering Wolf's long thick fur with a generous amount of soap. "Indeed. It is the only time I have ever feared bodily harm from Wolf." He agreed. Taking in the irritated expression on Wolf's face he added. "It would appear that he still does not look kindly on us."

Robin suddenly grinned, bumping Coyote's arm. Once sure that he had the Indian boy's attention, he nodded meaningfully towards Wolf.

Coyote followed his gaze.

Crouched around the massive canine were Conner, Kaldur, Wally, Artemis, and M'Gann. They had delegated more people to Wolf in the hopes of getting the irritable beast bathed more quickly.

Artemis had grabbed a pair of large soapy, dripping sponges, one in each hand. The look on her face was one of pure evil as she slipped behind Wally.

The two boys grinned at each other.

**_Oh he's gonna get _****creamed****_! _**Mini Me was practically _gleeful_.

"Are you thinking what I think you're thinking?" Coyote whispered, eyes alight with mischief and excitement.

**_Do you realize how confusing that sentence is?_**

**_ Said sentence is aimed at a kid who uses words like 'traught', 'whelmed', and 'aster'…_**

**_ ….point…_**

"Oh I'm _definitely_ thinking what you're thinking!" Robin chortled, reaching for his own scrubs. "But let Arty make the first move."

Coyote nodded. "I wouldn't _dream_ of jumping the gun!"

Wally never knew what hit him.

One minute he was helping lather up Wolf, the next he was whacked over the back of the head with a soapy wet sponge. "Gah! Hey! What's the big ideaMMPH!" He'd whipped around and found himself running face first into yet another soapy wet sponge, held there specifically for that exact purpose.

Laughter erupted, Artemis couldn't have planned it more perfectly if she'd tried.

Wally jerked his head back and away from the sponge, spluttering and wiping the suds from his eyes. He grinned up at the blonde archer, grinning from ear to ear.

"Nice goin." He laughed.

**_He's certainly being a good sport about it. _**Mini commented.

Coyote grinned. **_Let's test that good sportsmanship, shall we? _**

**_ Ooh yes, lets!_**

Coyote grinned and met Robin's eyes. Both boys drew a deep breath and yelled. "Now!"

Sponges and scrubs flew through the air. Zatanna had apparently cottoned on to their plan because she was right there next to them hurling sponges and scrubs at the others along with them.

"Oh it's on now!" Wally yelled, hurling a sponge back at them.

It all devolved from there and absolute chaos ensued. Sponges and scrubs flew hither and yon. No one was spared. Naomi escaped Coyote's hold and proceeded to run around, cackling gleefully as she darted around the teens, nipping playfully at this one or that one and easily evading their hands.

Conner did a slightly better job of holding on to the soapy Wolf. But the massive wolf escaped his hold after Conner was nailed in the face with a sopping wet sponge.

Wolf made good his escape, bolting from the room. Naomi cackled and raced after him, her wild laughter echoing of the stone walls of the cave.

"After them!" Wally crowed, striking a dramatic pose.

Several sponges nailed him.

Coyote laughed, adopting his own dramatic pose. "Come Watson!" he laughed, running after the two canines.

Robin darted past him, his familiar cackle drifting back as his black and gold cape disappeared around the corner after the animals. "The game's afoot!"

It took the team nearly two hours to run Wolf and Naomi down. The wolf and hyena were quite adept at evading capture, despite their size. Yet another hour was required to complete the bath, cleaning the soap out of the canine's fur and toweling the two of them off.

Once that was done, the teens surveyed the damage to the rest of the mountain.

Water and dirty soap had been tracked everywhere by both dogs and teens, and globs of the stuff had been spattered on the walls and dripped on the furniture. They had one heck of a cleanup job to do.

But somehow, they couldn't bring themselves to mind. They'd had the time of their lives, and it wasn't over yet.

Robin hacked the com systems, playing upbeat music for them to work to, 'Washing the Dog' played the most often. Together they set off to clean the mountain.

Once they'd finished, they returned to their rooms to get fresh, dry clothes. They had all gathered in the living room, with the exception of Coyote, when the computers whirled to life.

_Recognize. Black. Canary. One. Three. _

M'Gann clapped a hand to her forehead. "Hello Megan! We've got training with Black Canary today!"

Black Canary nodded, amused. "Yes you do." She agreed.

"Good."

Coyote had entered the room, Naomi at his side. It didn't escape the team that he had dressed in his uniform again. They had all changed into comfortable civvies.

He smiled. "I'm curious what new tricks a canary can teach a coyote…"

* * *

There ya go folks! I know I said I was gonna have combat practice in this chapter but after washing our dogs with my brother and sister I just couldn't resist this fun lil' bit of team bonding sneaking in there!

Review if you wanna see Coyote get his but whooped in the next chapter!

Until next time...


	8. Coyote Status: Fail

Ok, I am apologizing in advance. The next two chapters are gonna be short, just because story wise they have to be. After the next chapter, the team goes on a mission and that's when s*** hits the fan. Until then, just hang tight and enjoy the bits as they come!

Shout outs to: DoggieFanNumber1, Seven Silences, RebornWhole, and Kaen Okami (Haven't seen you in a while! Glad to have you back!) You guys are amazing! Have a cookie (::)

* * *

ENJOY!

* * *

"To be a truly effective team, your teammates need to be aware of your capabilities." Canary stated from her spot on the holo-mat.

She eyed the team standing around the edge. They had all changed into costume, as per her instructions. "And you need to be aware of theirs. You've managed to complete two missions together so far without serious incident, but neither of you is fully aware of what the other is capable of. It's time we rectified this."

She gestured for Coyote to join her on the mat. "As the newest member of the team, your abilities are the ones the team knows the least about. Artemis, if you would please?"

Artemis joined them, earning a curious glance from Coyote, though he made no comment.

Canary motioned to the pair of them. "Coyote, you've stated on several different occasions that your hand to hand is lacking. Artemis is an experienced martial artist. I want the two of you to spar. You are to do your best, and she will adapt to your skill level. No powers or weapons are to be used. Understood?"

Coyote nodded. "Understood."

The two teens turned to face each other and dropped into ready stances as Black Canary retreated from the holo-mat. Neither took their eyes off of the other.

"Begin."

Artemis attacked without warning, moving in with two quick punches and then dropping down for a leg sweep, all in the space of a few seconds!

Coyote took the first punch, she'd caught him off guard, but he managed to block the second and jumped over the leg sweep. He flipped forward over her head, hoping to disorient her by suddenly appearing behind her.

He should've known better.

He landed behind her to find her ready for him, whipping around faster than he had anticipated to nail him with an elbow to the jaw.

That pretty much set the tone for the rest of their fight.

* * *

Coyote watched Artemis warily.

He was holding his own well enough he supposed. But he took just as many hits as he dished out, the main difference being that none of _his_ connected.

Artemis was always ready for him, always there with a counter block. And if he wasn't careful, she would either land him on his butt with a well placed hit, or she would grab an arm or leg and physically throw him off balance.

He winced as he took another hit.

They might've been sparring, but Artemis pulled no punches. He retaliated with a round house kick aimed at her head. She stopped it cold, long slender fingers wrapping around his ankle.

**_Oh no…!_**

Artemis grinned, recognizing the look of dawning understanding in his eyes. Then she turned and knelt, hauling his leg over her shoulder and down in front of her, leaning her weight against the back of his knee.

The effect was immediate, and simple.

Coyote was thrown over her shoulder to land spread eagled on his front on the mat. He could hear Artemis standing behind him. She wasn't moving in for the attack so he assumed the match was over.

**_You just got your butt kicked by a girl! _**Mini Me squealed.

**_Anything to keep you amused... _**Coyote grimaced and pushed himself up on hands and knees, noticing an image on the holo-mat to his right. He paused a moment to read the text in that box pictured on the floor.

_Coyote Status: Fail_

"Oh now _that's_ just insult to injury!" he groaned aloud, climbing to his feet.

Even Black Canary chuckled a little at that. She stepped up onto the holo-mat, nodding her thanks to Artemis. Then she motioned to Coyote. "How do you think _you _did?"

**_Yes, do share. You just got your butt kicked by a girl, how do _****you****_ think you did? _**

Coyote ignored him. "Better than I thought I would." He admitted.

Black Canary arched an eyebrow at him. "Try it again." She ordered. And to Artemis she added. "Do your best."

Coyote's grin never faltered, but inwardly he blanched at the tone of Canary's voice.

**_Oh, that does _****not ****_sound good…_**Mini Me murmured.

Coyote couldn't help but agree.

"Begin…"

* * *

_Coyote Status: Fail_

Coyote groaned, picking himself up off the floor yet again. This was not his day. He turned to face her, that same old reckless smile still adorning his face.

Time to pull out a new trick.

He faked panting, pretending to catch his breath. Off to one side Naomi growled, her hackles raising as she stood. He flashed her a hand signal and she reluctantly settled down again, though her growl never ceased, only quieted.

This was the third time he'd had to tell her to back off.

Artemis was waiting for him, every line of her stance telegraphing self confidence.

Coyote pretended to rise, then cast himself forward.

His gloved hands slapped the glowing surface of the mat. He tucked his head, allowing his body to roll forward before he pushed off with his hands to send both feet hammering up at Artemis. He had the satisfaction of seeing her eyes widen before his feet slammed into her chest, knocking her back.

His mother had taught him that move. It was one of her favorites. He smiled, wide and wild.

She had been right… it did tend to take one's opponents off guard!

Mini Me snorted rudely. **_You doubted her?! Your mom might be what doctors call 'a little off her rocker', and a blonde to boot! But she's been in the racket longer than you've been alive! _**

Coyote chuckled. **_Only about a year or so! _**

He didn't dare take too much attention off of Artemis, the girl had a _very _short recovery time. She was already on the offensive again, forcing him back.

_Coyote Status: Fail_

Coyote stayed down this time. His breath had been knocked out of him this time, and his primary concern was sucking that breath back _in_.

He stared up at Artemis, not entirely sure exactly _what_ had happened.

**_She handed you your furry tail on a silver platter you moron. _****That's ****_what happened! _**Mini Me half laughed, half yelled.

Coyote couldn't decide whether Mini Me was more amused or angry with the fact that Coyote'd just been beaten for the third time in a row by the _same girl_.

Artemis offered her hand, smiling to show that it was nothing personal.

The wild, carefree smile the team was beginning to think of as his trademark came easily to his lips and he accepted her friendly gesture.

"Nice job with that last move." Artemis said once he was on his feet. "You really surprised me with that one."

He chuckled and nodded. "Thanks. It's sort of a family favorite."

Across the room, Robin raised his eyebrows. "…family favorite huh?" he murmured softly under his breath. "That's interesting… "

* * *

BAT PARANOIA ALERT! Anyone else think Robin won't recognize a move that's been used against him before? Think again! Lol, next up: it's Kaldur's turn to notice something about the his new teammate, and he actually does something about it!

Review! Or else...(I don't know, couldn't come up with a better incentive...ooh! Maybe this will work!) Review or...(offers up Bat Glare)...

Until next time...


	9. Gift of Kindness

And here we go, the second of the two short chapters. Enjoy!

Shout outs to the oh so fantabulous: DoggieFanNumber1 and Kaen Okami! You guys are beyond my ability to describe in terms of awesomeness! Have a cyber cookie! (::)

* * *

ENJOY!

* * *

"A moment my friend."

Coyote paused, waiting for Kaldur. Practice had ended some time ago, and he was once more in those rather revealing civilian clothes. He had been on his way to dinner when Kaldur had called his name.

"Something wrong Kaldur?" Coyote asked as the Atlantian came up beside him.

Kaldur shook his head. "No Coyote, there is nothing wrong. I merely had a question."

Coyote smiled and shrugged. "Shoot, and as long as it's not along the lines of who are you and what do you look like I'll probably give you an honest answer."

Kaldur gave a small smile and nodded. "In the week that you have lived here," he said gently. "I have observed that when not in uniform, these are the clothes you invariably wear."

Coyote arched an eyebrow. "Something wrong with the way I dress?" he asked.

Kaldur shook his head. "No. Merely an observation. I can find no fault with the style of your apparel when Artemis's uniform is so similar in design. I merely noted the you never wear anything else."

He fell silent, letting the statement hang there between them. If Coyote wanted to answer, he would. Kaldur didn't want to force him into anything.

For a moment Coyote looked as though he might go a little on the defensive, but after a long minute of glaring at Kaldur and being met only with that calm grey gaze, he sighed and seemed to deflate a little.

"I…I really don't have anything else." He admitted, blue grey eyes refusing to meet Kaldur's gaze. "Out on the street I was more concerned with survival. A change of clothing wasn't really a priority." He gestured to the clothing he was wearing. "It was an accident I have these…"

Kaldur raised his eyebrows. "You need only have asked."

Coyote nodded. "I know, and I didn't want to. I don't like taking something I haven't earned."

Kaldur shook his head. "In what way have you not earned the right to ask for help?"

Coyote shook his head and quietly walked away. "Trust me, I haven't. I've got to much I've yet to atone for…"

* * *

Coyote yawned, quietly keying in his access code. His bedroom door slid open and he stumbled inside with Naomi at his side, locking it behind him.

It had been a long day.

He flicked the lights on, and a tired smile lit his face as he gazed around the room. In the week and a half that he had been a part of the team, this place had really started to feel like home.

After that first exhausting day, the team had gone over a list of basics with him that each room was supposed to have. From there they had supplied him with what his room lacked, including sheets, blankets, and a pillow amongst other things.

What few belongings he had brought with him provided the final touches that made this room his.

Naomi trotted across the room ahead of him and hopped up on his bed, turning around once or twice before settling down on his blankets.

He laughed, shaking his head in amusement.

**_Ooh yay, more dog hair on our blankets._**

A soft knock sounded on his door and he hurried to answer it.

The corridor outside was empty.

He frowned, looking up and down the hall. No one was in sight. Then he noticed the bundle sitting on the floor in front of the door.

He stooped and picked up the string tied bundle. Glancing up and down the hall one last time, he quietly closed his door again and went to his desk. Untying the cord, it quickly became obvious that the bundle was in reality a small stack of folded cloths.

Memory of his talk with Kaldur a few days befor came back to him, and his eyes softened.

He sighed. "Kaldur…"

* * *

They watched as the Indian boy looked up and down the hall, a puzzled look the face half hidden behind the leather mask.

After a moment or two he quietly picked up their gift and backed up into his room, closing the door behind him.

Robin looked up from his holo screen, the hacked security camera footage there only showing an empty hall now. He grinned up at his partners in crime. "Mission accomplished."

Wally laughed and slapped the boy wonder a high five.

Behind them, Conner and Kaldur both smiled.

After Kaldur had informed them of Coyote's problem, the boys had set out to remedy that. Knowing Coyote would probably never accept brand new clothing, they had instead gone through their own closets and had each donated an item or two that they thought would fit him.

Pants had been brought in by Wally and Conner, and shirts were provided by Robin and Kaldur.

Kaldur had also slipped in a light, warm jacket. The collar would be high, as that was the easiest way to hide his gills if he had to move amongst the humans in civilian guise, but that could easily be folded down.

"Do you think he'll use them?" Wally asked.

Kaldur shook his head. "We will soon find out."

* * *

Yep, Coyote you can't escape your friends! They will help you whether you want it or not!

Review! I'm putting a poll up on my profile, and you guys can decide on which villain next chapter's mission should be!

Until next time...


	10. Saved by the Bat

Gah! Yet another short chapter! Sorry, I really intended for this one to be longer, but yet again, story wise it just _needs_ to run this way! I have the next chapter almost finished, and I'll be sure to have it posted up sometime tomorrow, so watch your inboxes!

Shout outs to: DoggieFanNumber1, SevenSilences, RebornWhole! You guys rock! And DoggieFanNumber1, sorry for the lack of action. That shall soon be remedied! Enjoy your cookies guys! (::)

* * *

ENJOY!

* * *

**_I can't believe you're actually doing this…_**

Coyote rolled his eyes, scratching Naomi behind the ears as he walked. It was late morning, and he was on his way to the kitchen. The team had all agreed to meet here at the mountain for an early lunch.

**_What can I say? I got tired of it. _**He answered back.

It had been two days since his teammates had left their gift in front of his bedroom door.

It hadn't been hard to figure out what came from who. They had washed everything before giving them to him, but his stronger nose could still pick up the faintest traces of his friend's scents on the clothes.

He'd been unsure what to do with them.

He'd hated the idea of accepting them, as he felt that it was a form of charity. Nor had he earned the right to this sort of kindness.

But at the same time, he couldn't bear to simply throw them away.

Short of throwing their gift directly back in their faces, nothing could be more cruel to these teens who had taken him in as one of their own.

And so while he debated with himself, he had very neatly folded the clothes and tucked them away into his as yet unused dresser and continued to wear his own somewhat revealing clothing.

They tried to hide their disappointment when he entered the room wearing his own clothes, but he could see it nonetheless. Each had masked it as best they knew. He chuckled a little at the memory.

Wally's face had been the easiest to read.

**_That kid has no poker face whatsoever. You _stink_ at cards, and you could probably beat him easy! _**Mini Me commented, amused.

He smirked. **_I probably could… _**He silently agreed.

He paused near the kitchen door and motioned Naomi to wait, listening carefully to the sounds beyond.

He had timed it perfectly.

The rest were all already here. He could hear M'Gann humming as she bustled around the stove. Zatanna muttered a spell off to one side, he wasn't sure what for, but it wouldn't be the first time he'd seen her use magic in the kitchen. Someone, most likely Wally, was rooting around in the refrigerator. Kaldur and Conner were discussing a book Kaldur was reading, and from the way Conner's fingers were drumming the clone must've been seated at the table.

Coyote frowned and silently breathed deep, drawing in the scents wafting from the kitchen.

He filtered out the mouthwatering aromas of breakfast and the lemony scented soaps the girls liked to use on their dishes, focusing instead on the scents of the team.

**_Yep, cause that's what I want to smell first thing in the morning… _**Mini Me grumbled.

He smiled. Robin was in there too.

He wasn't sure if the others were aware of his presence, but he'd have to work a little harder if he wanted to fool this coyote's nose.

He smiled down at Naomi and flashed a silent signal, telling her it was alright to proceed. She yipped and trotted on in, well aware of the fact that she could probably beg a tidbit or two off of M'Gann.

**_Shameless beggar._** Mini Me muttered contemptuously.

Coyote chuckled. **_She is. _**He agreed.

He followed her without preamble, not doing anything to draw attention to himself. He slipped past Wally, who had indeed been in the fridge, and moved on to the sink.

He'd had time to fish down a glass, fill it, and drain most of it before he heard the reaction he was waiting for.

"Dude you look great!"

Coyote flushed a little and tossed back the last of his water before turning and offering the team a shy smile. After two days of seeing the disappointment in their eyes he had caved.

He was currently wearing a pair of dark blue jeans from Wally and a pale blue shirt with three quarter sleeves from Kaldur.

**_And yet you still wear the same old boots. _**

He kept the irritated frown off his face with a supreme effort of will. **_You know perfectly well why I'm keeping the boots. _**He thought back. **_Suppose someone decided to do some checking?_**

Mini Me snickered. **_Namely Robin? _**

**_Namely Robin. _**Coyote agreed.

"Thank you." He said softly aloud, somewhat embarrassed by Wally's enthusiasm.

Conner offered a small smile. "We weren't sure you'd use them."

Coyote gave an embarrassed laugh and shook his head. "I hadn't planned on it. I haven't done anything to earn the kindness this team has shown me, or to warrant gifts like this."

Robin laughed from his spot lying atop the kitchen cabinets on his belly, startling his friends with his presence. "Not planning on it?" he cackled. "What changed your mind?"

**_The fact that the 'clever' and 'crafty' coyote trickster can't withstand the might of a bird and speedster guilt trip. _**Mini Me chortled.

**_…like I said, I got sick of it. _**

Coyote shook his head. "I don't know. I just…"

_"Team, report to the briefing room. Now." _

Everyone stiffened, then hurriedly set about clearing any food that would go bad off the table and into the fridge before hurrying towards the locker rooms for their uniforms, Coyote right there with them.

**_Saved by the bell! _**He thought as he ran.

**_No. _**Mini Me answered. **_Saved by the _****Bat.**

* * *

Unlike their last mission which was briefly summarized, this one will be told play by play to satisfy the need for action some readers (you know who you are! rofl) have displayed! But be careful what you wish for, because after this fanficiton is completed I currently have no intention of continuing Coyote's story.

Review! Or I'll sic Batman on you!

Until next time...


	11. The Trickster VS The Clown

Ta-tata-TAAAAA! Ladies and gentlemen, and children of all ages! From my computer to you, I give you the action you've all been requesting!

I'd like to shout out to: RebornWhole, and DoggieFanNumber1 (and 'doggy' dear, I have absolutely no idea...) Cookies to you guys! (::)

* * *

ENJOY!

* * *

**_He's going that way!_** Robin thought.

Coyote scrambled to reverse direction to cut the villain off. **_I've got him! _**

The team had been sent to Boston, the scene of the re-emergence of a small time villain from Gotham.

The Packrat.

Packrat ducked left at the last instant, avoiding the teens grasp. Coyote snarled, darting after the fleeing villain, Naomi by his side. He could hear Robin, Kaldur, Artemis, Zatanna, and M'Gann behind him.

Wally and Conner had stopped to help some civilians in a massive car wreck. Coyote wasn't exactly sure where they were now.

Ahead of him, Packrat darted this way and that, very much in vogue with the scurrying movements of his namesake.

He was by far the weirdest villain Coyote had ever seen, and weird in a funny way.

Dressed in a fuzzy grey body suit with red arms and legs, a big yellow 'P.R.' emblazoned on the chest, he would've been funny enough. But he hadn't stopped there.

He was wearing a pair of huge grey Mickey Mouse ears and had a long fake rats tail that moved and flicked on its own. Large round glasses were perched on his nose, and a black duffle bag hung at his side.

What really made this villain ridiculous though was the fact that he didn't steal valuables. The exact opposite in fact.

He stole junk.

At this point in time Coyote could clearly see some little girls stuffed pink pony and a dustpan sticking up out of his bulging duffle.

"I thought Gotham villains were supposed to be scary!" Zatanna called to Robin as they rounded a corner.

It looked like the Packrat was headed for one of the old abandoned ware houses ever single city on the face of the planet seemed to have. And villains across the world loved them.

**_Who wouldn't? _**Mini Me thought sarcastically. **_Old, dark, decrepit…If the villain can't induce fear in his hostages and henchmen, the building will by threatening to fall on them. It's a win-win scenario. _**

**_If you're a pathetic villain maybe. _**Coyote thought back acidly.

**_Your dad uses them! _**

Coyote rolled his eyes. **_As traps for the Bat and Bird, _****never****_ as a _****hideout****_! He always picks a better spot to hole up than _****that****_. _**

**_Name one! _**

Coyote smirked. **_In the fourteen years pop's had it, Batman and Robin have _****never ****_found the one behind the safe._**

**_…point…_**

Packrat disappeared into the warehouse ahead of them, pausing just long enough to grin at them before closing the door. That didn't bode well.

Coyote reached the door first and tried the handle. It wasn't locked. He waited until the others were with him, and Kaldur had nodded his assent, then quietly swung open the door. No trap beyond as far as they could see.

Coyote laid a hand on Naomi's shoulders and murmured a few words in that strange language of his.

After he had joined the team, Robin had asked what language it was he was using, as it wasn't one he knew. Coyote had admitted that it was apache.

Naomi was almost immediately enveloped in mist. Then she was gone.

**_I must agree with Zatanna. _**Kaldur thought as they entered the warehouse. **_This, Packrat, is a truly ludicrous character. _**

Robin gave a soft laugh. "You don't have to keep quiet, Packrat isn't exactly the brightest crayon in the box. And you're right, he is pretty goofy. He and two others are the only ridiculous villains Gotham ever produced." A sudden thought seemed to strike him, and he immediately switched over to the psychic link. **_Then again, if his boss is around then we've got a _****lot ****_to worry about…!_**

Artemis arched an eyebrow at him, bow at the ready as they rounded a stack of boxes. **_And who exactly is his boss? _**

Coyote froze. "Joker…!"

Above them on a stack of boxes sat the clown prince of crime himself, Packrat seated on the floor below him happily going through his duffle bag of stolen junk.

In his head, Mini Me groaned. **_Seriously, could our luck get any worse? Sent on a bogus mission to catch one of your dad's lackeys, walking into a trap set by said father figure…_**

Coyote was about to yell at Mini Me to be quiet while M'Gann had them linked up when what Mini Me had actually _said _hit him like a ton of bricks.

A trap…

Eyes wide, he whipped around and tackled his nearest teammate out of the way, taking the poor startled teen to the floor. "Look out!"

There was a loud crash behind him. He and Robin scrambled to their feet and turned to look.

A large Plexiglas cube had fallen down from it's hiding place in the ceiling, trapping their teammates. Coyote's quick action had just barely managed to keep himself and Robin free.

Up on his throne of packing crates, Joker pouted. "Aww, Harley my dear you missed some!" He glared at the two boys slowly moving his way, then grinned. "Ah well, on to plan B!"

Robin suddenly yelped, hand flying to his neck. He pulled away a small dart, brilliant pink and green fuzz dangling off the end of it. He starred at Coyote, shock written plainly on his face, before his knees buckled and he sat down rather heavily on the cement floor.

"Robin!" Coyote knelt at his side. Robin didn't respond, gazing up at Coyote with totally blank eyes.

"Oh excellent shot Harl!"

Coyote glared over his shoulder at the clown.

Harley slowly cartwheeled out from the control booth set against the wall, her two hyenas Bud and Lou following after her. She landed on her feet near the Packrat. "A-Ok Mr. J! If the new kid hadn't moved I would a got all of them with the box!"

"So you would Harley, so you would." Joker cackled, rising from his seat and walking down the stack of crates.

Coyote looked back to the Plexiglas cube that held his teammates. They couldn't seem to get out of it, though they were certainly doing their best. **_Um, Kaldur? Any ideas here? _**He thought at the Atlantian.

Kaldur didn't seem to hear.

**_We are so dead…_**Mini Me whimpered

Coyote shook his head, glaring back at the two approaching clowns.

There must've been something in the Plexiglas that was blocking M'Gann's telepathy. He reached for the com link in his ear under the mask.

"Oh really I wouldn't bother." Joker laughed. "The warehouse is being screened, no signals in or out." He shrugged. "Though if you really insist on trying…"

Coyote didn't doubt the clown for a minute. He silently clicked the button that activated the tracker in his com and lowered his hand. Whatever device Joker was using to jam the coms would probably jam the tracker too, but it was worth a shot.

"Very intelligent young man." Joker nodded appreciatively. "And very polite. Knows how to listen to his respectable elders."

Harley nodded sagely. "You're a fine upstanding man Mr. J."

**_Looks like I'm on my own. _**Coyote allowed his trademark devil may care smile to cross his face as he slowly stood and placed himself between Robin and the clowns.**_ Let's show him what it means to cross the Coyote. _**

**_…You're insane… _**

"He's an upstanding man alright, but word on the street says he's saving up to get himself a chair."

The two clowns froze.

Harley's face darkened. "My puddin's a good man!"

Coyote snorted. "Your 'puddin's' so crooked they're going to have to _screw _him into the ground when he dies!"

Joker put on a faux pensive expression, stroking his chin thoughtfully. "Why Coyote, it is Coyote isn't it?" Coyote nodded and the clown went on. "My dear Coyote, you cut me to the quick! It doesn't sound like you trust your dear old Uncle J…!"

Coyote glared at the maniac. "Trust you? I wouldn't put it past you to pin badges on frankfurters and sell them as police dogs!"

Joker raised his eyebrows. "That's not a half bad idea. I'll have to try that sometime."

Coyote rolled his eyes. "Great idea, top of the list. Put it right up there with smiling fish, cause we all know _that _went over well!"

**_You are seriously playing with fire… _**Mini Me muttered.

It was Joker's turn to frown. He glared at Coyote, clearly trying to decide on whether he wanted to shoot the kid or strangle him. After a long moment, he shrugged it off and laughed. "You've got spunk kid. And to be honest, you're the reason I called in this little favor from my old friend Packrat."

Coyote started, surprised. "Me?"

Joker grinned. "Indeed! Harley?"

Harley giggled. Looking down at the two hyenas standing on either side, she placed her hands on their broad shoulders and powerful necks, much as Coyote often did with Naomi. "Boys….sic him!"

**_…ok, _****now ****_you're sunk!_**

The two hyenas cackled, slowly stalking forward. Coyote remained where he was, knowing that they would bring him down all the faster if he ran. Nor could he allow Bud and Lou to get too close. The two hyenas would easily recognize him, and then his cover would well and truly be blown.

**_I'm not sunk yet. _**He thought back savagely. **_And I'm not leaving Robin unprotected while he's helpless like this. _**

**_You're _****insane****_! Move your fury tail!_**

Coyote smiled. It was time to bring in the _heavy artillery_…

And so he held his ground and _spoke_, the apache words rolling fluidly off his tongue. For a moment, the two clowns starred at him, confused. That confusion quickly dissipated into surprise and shock when the mist billowed in front of him and resolved into Naomi, teeth bared and hackles raised.

Joker gestured at her. "See, now _that's _why your dear old Uncle J's upset with you boy! A guy running around, cracking jokes, and all with a hyena by his side? That's _my_ shtick!" He gave the war paint on Naomi's fur (carefully reapplied after her latest bath) a doubtful look. "You've definitely gone and put your own spin on it, but all the same, you're _stealing_ my _act_!"

**_All of this is because of the _****MUTT****_?! _**Mini Me screeched.

Coyote smirked. "Well you know what they say about stealing from thieves…"

**_Thieves have better security systems? _**Mini Me muttered distractedly.

"They won't call the cops!" Harley giggled, almost immediately flinching away under the Joker's irritated glare.

Joker rolled his eyes and face palmed. "It's so hard to find good help these days…" Calmly backhanding Harley, he casually continued his conversation with Coyote. "I won't stand for this sort of plagiarism Coyote, I really won't. So I'm here to set the matter straight. You've got one of two choices."

Coyote smirked. "Is that so?"

Joker nodded enthusiastically. "You do! You can either quit the hero biz, or Harley and I'll take our recompense out of your hide! Sound fair? Your choice of course!"

**_He's actually going to let us out of here?_**

Coyote arched an eyebrow. "And what of my teammates?"

"What?" Joker looked from Robin to the Plexiglas cube and back, as if the thought had only just occurred to him. "Oh, I suppose something _will_ have to be done with the other children. Hmm…" He stroked his chin, brow scrunched in thought, tapping his toe on the concrete floor. "Well, I wouldn't want the other kiddies to feel neglected by their dear old Uncle J. I suppose I could spend some quality time with them as well. I'm sure I could think of some games we could play…"

Standing in front of Coyote Naomi growled, as though she understood what was being said. He couldn't help but agree with her. If he'd had hackles to raise, his would've been standing high by now. He knew what it was to play the Joker's games.

The 'prizes' of many such games littered his skin in the form of scars.

"I'm sure you could…"

Mini Me's voice was frantic. **_Don't get involved, just take the chance he offered and _****go****_! Take the mutt _****too****_ if you like just…!_**

**_No. _**Coyote answered silently, grey blue eyes never leaving the smiling clown in front of him.

He could see Harley slowly getting to her feet over Joker's shoulder. She silently blew on a dog whistle drawn from her glove, calling Bud and Lou to her.

**_We owe our lives to Robin. We are _****not ****_leaving the bird to the Joker's…tender, care. _**

Coyote's hand had drifted to his belt, fingers closing around the hilt of his deer horn knife. He gave a dramatic sigh. "Well, see, there's a problem with your proposal."

Joker cocked his head. "There is? What?"

Coyote shrugged. "Well, for starters, I'm kind of living with the team. Hero work is sort of my bread and butter. And it's really _hard_ to find an apartment that'll let you keep a _hyena_ on the premises! You know how landlords can be about pets!"

His face became serious as he slowly drew his deer horn knife from its sheath. "Second. I became a hero to defend against psychos like you. I'm not about to leave my friends in the hands of a fiend. Especially not yours."

The two men eyed each other. Coyote gave a faux sheepish smile and shrugged his shoulders, eyes cold.

"Next move's yours clown. Make it a good one."

**_Nice ultimatum. _**Mini Me commented approvingly.

**_I thought so. _**Coyote thought back. He murmured a few soft words to Naomi, fondly ruffling her ears. The hyena gave a nervous whine but she obediently backed up behind him, laying down to curl around Robin, her side pressing close against his back.

Joker's eyes narrowed. "You seem familiar, have I threatened you before?"

**_Crap! Now you've done it! _**

"Maybe." Coyote gave another shrug, completely relaxed- knowing the shrug, the enigmatic answer, and his apparent lack of concern would infuriate the clown.

It apparently worked, because the Joker snarled and jerked one of many hidden knives from his pocket. "You little brat!" He lunged at the teen in a fit of rage, blade flying in a scything arc for Coyote's throat.

Coyote was ready, bringing his arm up to block the Joker's blade. He grinned. "Wrong move."

Joker starred at him. His watery yellow eyes continued to grow wider and wider as he looked at the young vigilante. The way the teen held his blade in particular. Coyote was holding that peculiar deer horn blade of his in a reverse grip, the blunt of the knife pressed against his forearm for added support under the weight of the Joker's onslaught. It was a technique he'd seen before.

"You…!" he gasped, starring up at the grey blue eyes behind the furry mask. "You're.."

**_Busted! _**Mini Me howled.

"…from the reservation?" Coyote smirked. "I am." He pressed his advantage, using some of the height he'd gained in the past year, and the hand to hand experience he'd gained since he'd joined the team. Joker had no choice but to back up under his attack.

**_I thought the whole point of this masquerade was to make sure he didn't find out! _**Mini Me shrieked. **_And you admit it to his face the first chance you get?_**

"You destroyed so many lives when you claimed your child." Coyote snarled, ignoring the little voice in his head as he pressed the clown back. Slicing at him. It was all the clown could do to keep himself from being cut. Coyote made an especially daring slash, dropping down into a crouch with his blade held in a guard across his chest to avoid his opponents retaliation.

"I became a hero to see to it that no one else suffered the fate you bestowed on your son and his friends. I'm here at his behest in fact, to atone for the crimes he committed when he could not." Coyote laughed, eyes glinting coldly up at the clown as he surged up from the floor in an uppercut the Joker just barely managed to avoid. "But I'm not above a little vengeance when the opportunity's offered!"

**_Nice save…_**Mini Me remarked. It might've been Coyote's imagination, but it almost sounded like the little bit of consciousness separate from his own was impressed.

They locked blades, leaving the two chest to chest, almost nose to nose. "And unlike our dearly departed JJ…" Coyote suddenly thrust the man back, sending him sprawling. He grinned as he stood over the prostrate form of the Clown Prince of Crime. "I'll _take it_."

"JJ?" Harley slowly rose from her seat beside Packrat. "You know JJ? Could you tell me where he is?"

Coyote paused, and met her eye. "JJ perished of the wounds he sustained in the fire. He's long dead."

**_Don't take your eyes off the psycho!_**

**_What?_**

On the floor below Joker cackled. Taking advantage of the teens distraction, he leapt to his feet, his blade catching Coyote's side. Coyote screamed, staring up into those watery yellow eyes with anger and hate.

He could hear Naomi growling in the background, but she remained where she was, as he had asked her to.

**_I told you this wouldn't end well! _**Mini Me screeched. **_We're gonna die! I told you we were gonna die you idiot! But do you ever listen to me? NO! _**

Joker cackled. "You're such a happy go lucky lad, you _really_ should go out with a smile!" He grasped that dreaded flower in his lapel and squeezed, sending a cloud of pale green gas cascading over the gasping teen's face.

He waited expectantly for the impudent Indian brat to collapse into fits of laughter. He wasn't disappointed, but the laughter didn't come as he expected.

Coyote gave a soft, tired laugh, grinning up into the startled and somewhat frightened clown's face. "You think I wasn't warned about your tricks?" he asked, grinning.

"Coyote!"

The two turned their heads to look. Conner and Wally stood in the doorway, eyes wide as they starred at the state of their team.

Joker dropped Coyote, leaving the switchblade embedded in the teens side, and pushed the injured teen so that he stumbled back on unsteady legs to drop to his knees.

"Harley? Time to go!" He called, bolting for an exit.

"Come on babies!" Harley called, darting after her lover. Bud and Lou were hot on her heels

Mini Me was indignant now. **_After all that tough talk, are you going to let him get away?_**

Coyote gritted his teeth and stumbled to his feet. **_Not on your life. _**

He took off after the fleeing forms of the clowns. He could hear Naomi's angry cries behind him, but he continued on. "See to the others!" he called to Conner and Wally. "Joker and Harley are mine!"

The two boys nodded uncertainly, Wally running to check on the fallen bird while Conner went to slam his fists against the Plexiglas. Cracks spider webbed out from the point of impact.

It wouldn't take him long to break them out.

Coyote tightened his grip on his deer horn knife, gritting his teeth against the pain. He pushed himself to the limit. The switchblade buried in his side jolting with every step he took. But he was no stranger to pain. He could push it to the side without too much effort.

He smiled grimly.

He might not have the grace some of his childhood friends back on the reservation had when they ran, but he would never be slow. Nonetheless, the clowns had a head start. They were within sight of the door when he caught up with them.

He slowed, his wound paining him. If those clowns made it through that door, he wasn't sure he could catch them.

**_So don't let them get out the door! _**Mini Me yelled.

Coyote nodded. "Right."

With the ease of long practice, he flipped the blade in his hand so that he was holding it by the tip. Drawing back, he took a moment to sight his target, steady his breathing. Then he threw.

The blade spun almost soundlessly through the air. Joker never knew what hit him. One moment he was running, the next he found himself pinned to the doorframe by the sleeve of his purple jacket. He starred at the blade for a long second, then whipped around to stare at the teen he hadn't realized was chasing him.

Just in time to see said teen pull a second knife from his boot top.

"Harley!" he called frantically through the door after the fleeing blonde. Harley skidded to a stop, looking back in surprise. She'd thought Joker was right behind her!

Another blade whipped through the air, pinning Joker's other wrist to the same doorframe.

Coyote darted forward, shoving the pinned clown over a little to make room for him to slam the door closed, effectively blocking Harley and the hyenas off. He slammed the crossbar down into place and stepped back, eyeing his handiwork on both the door and the clown.

**_Nice work! _**Mini Me commented.

**_Thanks. _**Coyote thought back tiredly.

Joker stood there, both wrists awkwardly pinned to the left side of the door frame by a pair of deer horn knives, both embedded deeply into the wood. The clown gave a few halfhearted tugs, testing to see if he could pull the knives out or tear his suit coat sleeves off of them.

Both knives and sleeves held firm.

"So now what junior?" Joker asked resignedly. "You let the bats send me back to Arkham, I break out the next time I feel like it, and we start the dance all over again? What exactly did you hope to accomplish here?"

Blue grey eyes narrowed behind the grey and russet furred mask.

Joker saw it and read it for what it was. Hate. Hate for the clowns very guts, for everything this deranged maniac stood for. He grinned excitedly. "Or did you have something more…_fun _in mind?" he giggled.

A cold edge crept into Mini Me's gleeful little voice. **_Oh, you have no idea how much fun we could have with you if the idiot weren't such a stick in the mud. _**His tone made it abundantly clear exactly what kind of fun they would've had otherwise. **_We learned from the best... _**Mini Me suddenly cut off in surprise.

Coyote growled.

He stepped forward, grabbing the clown by the throat and pinning him to the doorframe. He could hear Harley, Bud, and Lou on the other side of that door. Somewhere in the distance behind him, he could hear Naomi anxiously calling for him.

He paid them no mind.

"I should kill you for the lives you turned into living hells." He hissed. "Let alone for all the other atrocities you've committed over the years, all the lives you _stole_! And for what? For _profit_?"

For a moment there was a stunned silence in his head, then Mini Me gave an excited shout. **_Finally! Someone _****actually ****_got you mad!_**

Joker grinned and shrugged. "Small fish in the kettle! Most of those people weren't really happy anyway. Not like me. At least when I killed them, most of those pathetic little people died with a _smile_… anyone who didn't…well, they just didn't get the joke!" he laughed maniacally. "And as for _why_, ha! Ha! Ha! I did it for the fun! The fun and the fame! Money's just a pleasant little side bonus!"

**_Man after my own heart! _**Mini me chuckled.

Coyote snarled. This clown was really pushing all the wrong buttons, and Mini Me _wasn't_ helping. The blade Joke had left in his side chose that moment to strongly remind him of its presence.

Before he'd even had a chance to form a coherent thought, the knife was jerked out of his side and he was pressing that small switchblade against the Joker's pale throat.

The maniac paused in his laughter, seeming genuinely surprised though not overly worried. He smiled. "What'cha you gonna do kiddo?" He asked grinning. "You got the _guts_ to _kill_?"

Blue grey eyes narrowed as an angry, almost animalistic snarl rumbled up out of the teens chest.

Mini Me's gleeful voice was decidedly cold and scary. **_Oh, you have _****no idea****_ what we have the guts for…_**

Joker's watery yellow eyes shot wide as a bolt of fear lashed him. As the realization struck him that this kid wasn't playing!

Very few people could strike fear of any sort in the Joker, and even fewer could incite fear for his life in the clown prince of crime. He looked into this kid's eyes and he _was _afraid.

Because this kid would _end him_ without a second thought!

Coyote pressed the blade harder against the pale white column of the Joker's throat, his eyes tinged red.

He could do it.

He could do it so _easily_. Apply just the right amount of pressure and he'd slice the wall of the Joker's windpipe. Apply a little bit more and he'd hit those two jugular veins situated to either sided of it.

A little more would see all three severed.

Joker would die. It would be easy. Like slaughtering an animal. Coyote could do that. He'd killed plenty of animals back on the reservation, often gutting them and cleaning them before taking them inside to be turned into a meal. He could do it.

All too easy to just slit the mad mans throat and stand back to watch as the clown choked to death on his own blood.

He could do it.

He _would _do it...

**_So what are you waiting for? _**

That got his attention. What was he waiting for? It wouldn't have taken Conner long to free the team, they could run in at any minute and see him in the act of killing the Joker. Particularly Wally.

What would they think? What would they say?

More importantly, what would they _do_?

* * *

Le gasp! Did Conner and Wally arrive in time? Will Coyote kill the Joker? Will Naomi fulfill her duty to protect Robin like she was told? And whatever will become of the poor boy wonder?

Review! And I just _might _tell you! MWAHAHAHAHAHAHA...! (evil laughter fades off into the distance)

Until next time...


	12. Of Brain Rivers & Thought Fish

Yay, new chap!

Shout outs to the amazing (and highly supportive): Secret00, DoggieFanNumber1, and RebornWhole! (And secret, I really want to be, but I can't seem to come up with a good story completely on my own without getting writers block! Grr...) You guys are beyond description in your awesmacking awesomeness!

* * *

ENJOY!

* * *

The Plexiglas shattered with a resounding crash.

Conner dropped his fists to his sides and hurriedly backed up as his team came flying out. He could hear Packrat scurrying away behind him in a fright, his duffle bag of stolen odds and ends clutched close to his side. Conner really couldn't bring himself to care. Despite his gun the Packrat was always more an annoyance than a threat to the people at large.

Despite her admonition that when on assignments they were teammates, not boyfriend girlfriend, M'Gann flew straight to him and threw her arms around his neck in a quick hug.

"Artemis. Zatanna. Secure the Packrat." Kaldur ordered.

The two girls nodded and took off after the fleeing junk stealer, heading in the opposite direction Coyote had gone after the clowns.

Kaldur, Conner, and M'Gann all hurried to Wally's side to check on Robin.

Naomi was still laying quietly behind Robin, pressed close against his back. Every now and then, she would look off in the direction her pack mate had run and give an anxious whine.

"Come _on_ Rob, snap out of it!" Wally pleaded, shaking the bird's shoulder.

Robin starred at him blankly, before very slowly looking down at his belt, an uncomprehending look on his face. There was something really important on his belt, he felt sure of that, but he couldn't quite remember what it was or comprehend what purpose it would serve.

Kaldur was already on his com link. "Aqualad to Batman." He stated calmly. There was a moment of tense silence, then the dark knights voice came on the line.

_"Batman." _He growled.

Kaldur took a deep breath. He just hoped Batman didn't kill and or horribly maim the messenger who told him his little bird was hurt. People could say what they liked about the Batman, the man was incredibly protective of his son.

"Batman, we have encountered the Joker and Harley Quin here in Boston. Quin injected Robin with what appears to be a chemical agent via a dart. He is… unresponsive."

Naomi again looked off in the direction Coyote had gone and loosed a plaintive call, clearly calling for him.

There was a long moment of icy cold silence on the other end of the com link.

_"Has he said anything?" _

Kaldur shook his head. "No sir. He has not made a sound since he was struck down."

_"Is the dart still there?" _

Kaldur glanced around, quickly spotting the small dart a few feet away from the boy wonder where it had rolled after dropping from his nerveless fingers. "It is still here." He answered. "We have not touched it."

_"Joker and Harley color code their darts to match the poisons they hold. Describe the dart."_ The dark knight ordered grimly.

For having just been told that his son had been poisoned by the Joker, he was being remarkably calm, Kaldur thought.

He bent and picked the dart up. "It is small, and light. The body of the dart is of a non-reflective silver color, and the fletching consists of a pale pink and green tuft of fuzz."

There was another moments silence, then the dark knight was giving him instructions. _"There are two poisons it could be. Inside Robin's belt you'll find a small packet containing various antidotes. You'll also find a needle. Use the needle on Robin's palm. Tell me if he reacts to it."_

Kaldur nodded. "Yes sir." Looking down, he was surprised to find that Wally had already removed Robin's utility belt and was hurriedly rummaging through it, quickly producing the packet.

Seeing the Atlantian's quizzical look, he shrugged. "Rob's pretty good about not getting hurt, but this isn't the first time I've had to go through his belt." The speedster answered the unspoken question, the grimness in his voice alien to his usually jovial personality. He gestured to the packet. "So what do we give him?"

Kaldur knelt and caught hold of the apathetic teens right hand, quickly stripping off Robin's glove and flipping his hand palm up. He opened his mouth to ask Wally for the needle, only to find the speedster already offering it to him.

Robin starred down at the packet in Wally's hand.

That was the important thing in his belt… He knew it was… He thought it was… His mind felt sluggish, cloudy. As if his brain were the gunked up Gotham river at winter time, and his mind couldn't see more than a foot in any direction through the murky slow moving water.

The thought that the packet in the hand of the yellow person in front of him was important kept coming to his mind again and again, dancing in to tease him and darting away again before he could completely grasp it.

Like a bright little goldfish in the murky dark of his brain river.

He could see it when it was close, but the farther away it went the murkier it got, until it was barely a silhouette. He had yet to see it clearly, so he didn't understand why that packet was important.

He just knew it was.

The brown boy was holding his right hand so Robin reached out with his left, resting his hand on the packet. There were lots of pretty colors in the packet. Normally he would've liked red, red was his favorite color.

He liked red.

But for some weird reason, today he liked the look of that pretty little light blue one. He wasn't sure why. He thought it might have something to do with that thought goldfish swimming in his dirty, icy old brain river.

But he liked the blue one today…

Kaldur calmly lanced Robin's palm with the needle. Robin didn't even bat an eyelash, a bemused look on his face as his finger lightly toyed with one of the pills in the packet Wally was holding.

The speedster shook his head and stripped off his goggles. "Don't play with those Rob." He ordered gently, pushing the boy wonders hand away from the packet. He dumped his goggles into Robin's lap. "Here, play with these for a bit while we get you sorted out. They're harder to break… And they're red, you like red!"

The Atlantian touched his com link. "He did not react. I am not even certain he knows he has been pricked."

_"Then give him the blue pill." _The dark knight instructed. _"And make sure it reaches the back of his throat. Once there he'll swallow it on his own, but if you just set it in his mouth he'll let it sit there on his tongue._

Kaldur looked to Wally.

The speedster's attempt to distract the boy wonder had worked for a few seconds, then Robin had gotten a stubborn look on his face and again reached out to toy with the little blue pill with the tip of his finger.

"The blue one. Batman says to make certain it reaches the back of Robin's throat, or he will not swallow it."

Wally gave the boy wonder an incredulous look. "That's the one he's been playing with! Jeez, even when your drugged up you're a better detective than I am!"

He quickly picked the pill up between the tips of his first and second fingers, then gently cupped Robin's jaw with his free hand. "Open wide Rob…"

The raven haired boy obediently did as he was asked, slowly opening his mouth for the speedster. Wally quickly slipped the little blue pill inside and pushed his friend's jaw closed.

"Ok, now swallow." He watched Robin carefully for a moment then opened his mouth again to make sure the pill had made it down. "He swallowed it."

Kaldur touched a finger to his com link. "It is done."

_"Monitor him carefully." _The dark knight ordered. _"If the effects haven't worn off within the next five minutes you need to get him back to Mount Justice as quickly as you can." _

Kaldur looked to his teammates. "Do one of you have a timepiece? If he has not recovered within the next five minutes or so Wally will need to take him back to the mountain."

Wally picked up Robin's glove and pressed a button, activating the computer. The blue holographic screen and keyboard leapt into being, floating over the glove. Wally pointed at the lower right hand corner of the screen where the time was clearly displayed. "We can use this."

The team anxiously settled in to wait. And as Robin continued to just sit there and stare at them, their concern continued to grow.

As if sensing their worry, Naomi quietly turned her head so that it rested in his lap under his arm.

Kaldur still had the com jammed open so the Batman could hear all that went on. The Atlantian wasn't sure which was more disquieting, Robin's lack of recovery, or his inability to even hear the dark knight _breathing _on the other end of the line.

Then Robin stirred.

He cocked his head slightly, then gave a soft smile. Stroking Naomi's head reassuringly, he reached up and tapped one of the three tiny buttons on his com. "Robin to Batman. I'm definitely beginning to feel the aster again…"

* * *

Making his way across the Gotham rooftops towards the nearest zeta tube, the dark knight released a breath he hadn't even realized he was holding.

He cast a silent prayer of thanks at the world at large, then turned his attention back to the matter at hand.

"Good." He stated grimly, knowing Robin would be the only one able to read the relief hidden in his voice. "Aqualad, the parameters of your team's mission are changed as of now. Track Joker and Harley down. Plant tracers on them if possible. But do not break cover, and do not engage. This is now a covert mission. Understood?"

_"I understand." _The calm, quiet voice of the Atlantian answered from the other end.

The dark knight leapt down into an alley, stalking toward the decrepit phone booth at the other end. "Everyone activates their tracers." He ordered. "I'll get there as soon as I can."

* * *

Yay, Robin lives! but what about Joker and Coyote...?

Review! Or the Joker will get away!

Until next time...


	13. Show No Weakness

Hey guys, sorry for the long down time. I'm currently sitting in a hotel room in Chattanooga! I discovered that the hotel has a free wifi, so guess what this clever little cookie decided to do with it?

Shout out's to: Secret00, SevenSilences, RebornWhole, DoggieFanNumber1, and Miniaon! You guys make me feel the aster! Have a cookie! (::)

* * *

ENJOY!

* * *

**_Why are you hesitating? Kill the clown now! Do it now, while you've got the chance! _**Mini Me howled at him from the depths of his mind.

Coyote very nearly did. He _felt_ the blade break skin. He _saw_ the trickle of blood roll down the side of the Joker's throat. He _heard_ the frightened whimper.

But something stayed his hand.

A memory of dark eyes filled with pain as they reflected the moon and star light back at him. In an instant he was back on the reservation the night this man killed his dearest friend. Starlight and moonlight had gleamed down on him as he watched his friend die.

He blinked, and he was back in the cruddy old warehouse, the Joker's Adam's apple bobbing nervously under his hand.

**_Kill him! _**Mini Me coaxed. **_Kill him! All it'll take is one little push, and then the clown is out of _****both ****_our miseries!_**

More memories were coming to the surface now.

First aid kits left on the bed when they were most needed. Board games played on rainy days. Words whispered in the night. The warmth of companionship. The confidence of a friend.

His eyes narrowed. "No." he growled.

**_What are you doing? _**Mini Me cried.

Coyote glared up at the clown prince of crime. "JJ fought tooth and nail to prove that he wasn't anything like you. That good could come from even the worst seeds." He growled. "Killing you would be so simple. Easy in fact. But that would make me no better than you. And the last thing this world needs is another Joker."

Now that the immediate threat against his life seemed to be passing, Joker began to get back some of his nerve.

He rolled his eyes irritably. "Sheesh! Even when he's dead I can't escape the stigma of my failure of a son!" he glared at Coyote. "JJ was weak, spineless! Even in the end when he tried to kill me his heart wasn't in it! That's why he's dead! Because he just didn't have the guts to stand up to the world and take what he wanted from life!" He was cackling by the end.

Coyote felt a familiar smile curl his lips. "But who is stronger Joker?" he asked. "Who has more courage? The sniveling lackeys who don't dare say boo to you? Or your wife and son who are willing to stand up to you and fight back when they feel you've crossed a line?"

He smirked at the irritated look on Joker's face. "That's why you've kept Harley around all these years. It's not because she's simple, or exploitable, or loyal to a fault, though those are all great bonuses."

He grinned, edging closer so he was right up in Joker's face. "You keep Harley around because there are times when she's not afraid of you. You like the resistance. JJ told me you always got _so_ excited during your father son chats when the pain became too much and he fought back against his restraints. That's why you're so obsessed with the Batman and his bird. Because they _fight back_."

Joker glared at him, and it was plainly obvious that the younger trickster had hit the nail on the head.

Coyote's smile faded. "They told me that you were a good man once, before the hard times. Before the acid…"

His eyes were cold. "For the sake of your family. Your wife. Your son. For the sake of the man you _might've_ been. For the few small acts of kindness shown to them… _That _is why I am sparing your life."

Joker gave him a nasty smile. "What's a matter lil' boy? Losing your nerve?"

"Far from it." Coyote smiled back, not in the least bit perturbed. "I learned a lot from your son. Not the least of which was compassion."

Joker snorted. "…_compassion…" _he muttered, as if the very word alone left a bad taste in his mouth.

Coyote shook his head at the pale man. "You could feel compassion once. I'm not sure if you _can_ feel it anymore." He murmured. "But your son could. And it's _his_ compassion that's protecting you from me."

The trickster let the blade slide along the Joker's throat.

He suddenly drew it back and stabbed the knife forward. Joker flinched and cried out, eyes screwing shut. When he didn't feel the stabbing pain he expected, he hesitantly opened his eyes and looked. Coyote had pinned Joker to the doorframe yet again.

This time by the collar of his shirt.

Coyote slowly released the handhold he had on the Joker's throat and stepped away, a proud smirk on his face. Clown and trickster starred at one another for a long time, before the Joker finally looked away.

They both knew it.

Joker had lost.

* * *

"They could be anywhere in this maze!"

Robin gave Wally a look. "I think that's been pretty well established KF." Glancing over his shoulder he asked, "Feeling any better Miss M?"

The Martian wearily shook her head.

After the danger to Robin was past they had discovered that it wasn't the cube at all dampening M'Gann's telepathy, all that thing did was block the coms. So Joker had lied about that. Somehow the Joker had managed to screen the whole warehouse against _her_. Until they got out of this warehouse, the psychic link was shut down.

"Do you see anything Conner?" she asked, looking to her boyfriend.

The clone shook his head. "No. Infrared's getting blocked by all this stuff." He answered, irritably gesturing at the maze of packing crates they were walking through. And indeed, it was set up like a maze, with clear signs of having been moved recently.

No doubt another improvement by the Joker.

Wally tossed up his hands. "Why don't we just have Miss M fly up over these crates and have a look see? She could totally spot them from the air!"

M'Gann's face lit up and she had begun to take flight when Kaldur caught her arm. "No." he told her gently. "We do not know the Joker's whereabouts, and you flying above the crates would make you an excellent target. We will need to find another way to locate the Joker and our missing teammate."

The group fell silent and started moving again.

Naomi gave a quiet, anxious whine.

Robin glanced down at the war painted hyena and gently fondled her ears the way he'd seen Coyote do so often. She accepted the attention, but it didn't seem to sooth her much.

He shook his head. "That's something I still don't get." He said aloud. "Why did he leave Naomi with me? 'Cause you know she wouldn't of stayed with me if he didn't specifically tell her to. So why have her stay?"

"He gave her the command to remain with you before Superboy and Kid Flash arrived." Kaldur answered. "Perhaps he gave the command as a failsafe. Should he fail to defeat the Joker, you would not be left unprotected."

"But he could have called her to come after the cavalry got here." Robin answered.

Wally cocked his head. "So why didn't he?"

"Maybe…" Robin frowned and stopped, starring down at the hyena at his side. "Joker said the screen covering the warehouse blocked coms. _We_ know he lied, but Coyote doesn't know. Maybe he wanted to make sure we could find _him_."

Wally grinned. "It's worth a shot!"

The boy wonder crouched down in front of Naomi, cupping her massive, blocky head in his hands. "I don't know the code words he uses for you." He said, gently stroking the hyena's soft fur. "I just hope you know enough English to get the idea… Naomi. Find Coyote."

The hyena didn't move from her spot, cocking her head as she tried to comprehend the sounds coming out of this small human's mouth.

She knew he wanted something from her, but she couldn't quite figure out what.

A high pitched howl suddenly leapt up into the air of the warehouse, resounding back to them again and again. It didn't have the deep, throaty timbre's of a wolf's howl, this was something else. It came again, a series of short, high pitched yips and howls.

Wally's emerald eyes widened. "Hey, that sounds like…"

Naomi gave an excited cackle and suddenly took off, racing after the sound. After a moment of stunned silence, the team was hot on her heels.

"It's Coyote!" Robin called excitedly as he ran. "He's calling her!"

After a few minutes running, the team rounded a corner and found an odd sight waiting for them. Joker was pinned to the doorframe by two deer horn knives and a switchblade, looking madder than a wet hen. And sitting on the floor a few feet in front of the Joker, turned so that he could keep an eye on both the Joker and them, sat a small grey and russet furred figure.

A coyote with his nose pointed up to the rafters.

The small animal gave one more yip, then turned his head to look at them. His lips pulled back in a smile at the sight of his team, the smile growing even wider when he saw Naomi and a recovered Robin with them.

He yipped one last time and the mist enveloped him, leaving the teenaged _human_ Coyote in it's wake.

He grinned and held out his arms. Naomi gave a wild, happy cackle and raced to him, bowling him over in her excitement. He didn't seem to mind though, laughing and playfully ruffling her fur while she bathed the lower half of his face in kisses.

"Nice going!" Wally laughed, zipping up to get a good look at the hapless joker.

"Yep, Coyote definitely got traught today!" Robin agreed. He suddenly grinned and trotted over to stand by Wally, fastening a pair of Bat cuffs around the Joker's wrists, another set encircling his ankles.

Fishing a dark red cell phone from his belt, the boy wonder flipped it open and pointed it at the pinned clown. "Smile!"

The Joker only gave him a dirty glare.

Robin shrugged and clicked the picture. "Have it your way. If you'd smiled I might've just kept it in my photo album, but since you're being such a prude about it, I think this one's gonna go on Facebook."

Coyote ducked his head, hiding his grin in Naomi's fur as he desperately tried not to laugh.

Kaldur crouched down next to him. "Are you alright?" The teen nodded and the Atlantian gave him a relieved smile before pressing on to his next question. "What happened to Harley Quin and her hyenas?"

Coyote pointed to the door the Joker was standing next to and slightly in front of. "On the other side of that door if they haven't split yet. And even if they have, she won't go far until she knows what's happened to her 'puddin'."

Kaldur nodded and rose. "As the Joker has already been captured, it seems prudent that we capture the other as well. Superboy, Miss Martian, please see to the hyenas. Kid Flash and I will deal with Quin. Robin and Coyote will remain here to keep an eye on the Joker."

The teens nodded, moving to assume their duties.

Wally quickly flipped up the crossbar, flipped the door open and zipped out, all in the blink of an eye. The others Kaldur had named were quick to follow.

Robin quietly tucked his phone away in his belt and pulled out a plastic bag. "Coyote, a lil' help here?"

Coyote quietly rose, hiding his grimace as the pain in his side spiked. Robin handed him the bag and had him hold it open while the young ninja quickly and efficiently emptied the Joker's pockets into it. He raised his eyebrows when Robin tossed in a stick of chewing gum and a ball of lint.

"You bag everything?"

Robin nodded. "After he escaped from an armored prison truck using nothing but a brown paper bag, a match, a straight nail, and a cigarette stub, we make sure we bag _everything_."

Coyote winced and nodded. "I think I remember hearing about that…"

Robin finished frisking the Joker and closed up the bag, setting it on the floor nearby. "Can I talk to you a second? I wanna know why you assigned Naomi to me."

Coyote nodded and followed Robin several feet away, knowing full well that wasn't what Robin wanted to talk about. "What's this really about Robin?" he asked in an undertone once they were a good distance away from the clown, insuring that he wouldn't overhear them.

Robin didn't answer.

He'd positioned himself so that Coyote blocked the Joker's view of the bird with his own body. Now he took advantage of that. The boy wonder quietly slipped his hand around the edge of Coyote's waist so that his fingers were just under the edge of the pelt hanging down Coyote's back.

Coyote winced, but held still.

Robin drew back bloody fingers and gave Coyote a pointed look. "How bad is it?"

Coyote glanced down, not daring to shake his head or move when he could _feel_ Joker's eyes boring into his back. "I'm not sure…" he admitted.

Robin nodded. "But you don't wanna give him the satisfaction." He murmured. "_Believe me_, I get it. You don't show weakness to a psychopath. Think you can hold out till Batman gets here to take over?"

Coyote nodded. "I believe so."

"Good." Robin quickly wiped the blood off his glove on the back of his uniform where it'd be hidden by the cape. Adopting an amused expression, he shifted his weight a little so that Joker could see his face and gestured at Naomi.

Pitching his voice just slightly louder so that Joker could hear but so that it would look like he just wasn't paying attention, he laughed and said, "Well yeah, I get _why_ you told her to do that! But do you realize how annoying it is to have a hyena stuck to you like a cockle burr?"

Taking his cue from the bird, Coyote laughed and shook his head. "Don't complain. I could've told her to _sit_ on you and she would've done it!"

* * *

Lol, more laughs and blood next chapter!

Review if you want everyone to survive!

Until next time...


	14. Know What He's Doing

Yeah, so... I been flying, and this popped out. Debated on waiting till tomorrow, but my mom basically told me to get off my lazy ass and post. So I shall post.

Shout out to: DoggieFanNumber1, and YouWhelmedYet! Have another cookies fellas, you make me feel whelmed! (::)

* * *

ENJOY!

* * *

The rest of the team soon returned, Wally and Kaldur escorting a struggling, water bound Harley Quin.

M'Gann levitated a pair of irritable hyenas in the door next, Conner following close behind her. Apparently Bud and Lou had put up a fight, because Conner's clothes were a little the worse for wear.

The last two to arrive were Artemis and Zatanna, who had finally managed to drag Packrat out of his little rat hole in the wall.

Artemis shuddered. "I never want to see _that _much garbage again!"

Packrat gave an indignant splutter at the word 'garbage'.

Zatanna gave a hearty nod in agreement. "I'm going to have to take _ten_ showers when I get home just to get rid of the smell!"

Robin laughed. "You should see some of the dumps in Gotham!" he chuckled. "Artemis, there should be some sort of flesh tone patch somewhere on his neck. Rip the patch off and it should put him back to normal."

"No!" Packrat clutched his duffle bag to his chest and tried to make a break for it.

The two girls pulled him back easily. Still fussing and struggling, Packrat dropped his face down to rest against the duffle, his nose buried in the bag's contents.

Zatanna suddenly spotted the patch Robin had mentioned and hurriedly ripped it off.

Packrat immediately stopped his movement. He blinked a couple times then looked down at the duffle in his arms. "Why am I nuzzling a stuffed animal and the hub cap to someone's car?"

While the young heroes looked on, desperately trying not to laugh at the poor man, he dropped the duffle and actually took a good look at what he was wearing. Seeing the Packrat costume he gave a shriek and hurriedly tore the mouse ears off his head.

"No!" His eyes settled on Robin. "Tell me I didn't…"

Robin smiled and clasped the man's hand reassuringly. "It's alright Mr. Lumis. You gave the people of Boston quite a start, and I dare say the media is going to have a _field day_ with the footage, but you didn't hurt anyone."

Mr. Harry Lumis, professional standup comedian by trade, breathed a sigh of relief and nodded. "Thank god. And Lisa and Buddy?"

Robin shook his head. "You're the only one to be reported so far. We'll be sure to check on Mr. Standton and Miss Loraine when we get back to Gotham. Make sure the Condiment King and Mighty Mom don't have a new debut."

Mr. Lumis nodded gratefully. "Thank you."

Behind him, Robin could hear Wally snickering at the villain names. He rolled his eyes behind the mask.

"Care to explain why a covert tracking mission resulted in the Joker's capture?" a deep voice rumbled.

Everyone whirled to see the dark knight step from the shadows.

"Batman…" Mr. Lumis murmured.

Batman's eyes narrowed. "Aqualad. Explain."

The story was laid out for the dark knight as well as could be managed, detailing the chase of the Packrat, Joker's trap, the drugging of Robin, the Joker's escape, and Coyote's pursuit. Coyote hadn't received the new orders and so had brought the Joker down when the opportunity was presented.

Batman was silent for several minutes, then nodded.

Drawing a pair of Bat cuffs from his belt, he clipped them shut on Harley's wrists while he gave the team their instructions. "Miss Martian will place the hyenas in an empty packing crate. Then I want the team to return to the mountain. Black Canary will join you shortly. Understood?"

The team nodded. "We will do as you say." Kaldur assured him.

As per the dark knight's orders, Bud and Lou were unceremoniously settled into a larger packing crate. The two hyenas yipped angrily and immediately set to trying to break out of the crate, Harley calling encouragement to them from nearby. When the shoddily constructed crate showed signs of giving away, M'Gann was quick to reinforce it with her mind.

It seemed that the team would have to wait until the authorities came after all.

Coyote was silent for a very long moment, then looked down at Naomi, who was remaining incredibly close to his side. He knew she could smell the blood on him, and he knew she was worried. He murmured a few quiet words to her, telling her what to do, then looked to M'Gann.

"Miss Martian, let them loose."

M'Gann gave him a startled look, but she nodded and did as he asked, making a point of not looking at the Batman. She trusted Coyote.

She just hoped he knew what he was doing!

Bud and Lou burst out of the crate, making a beeline for Batman. Batman dropped into a fighting crouch, ready for them.

Then he wasn't alone anymore.

Naomi stepped in between him and the oncoming hyena's. She lowered her head, teeth bared in warning, and raised her ragged tail high. A warning growl rumbled up from her throat, and her hackles rose.

Bud and Lou skidded to a stop, starring at the hulking female in shock. She was easily bigger and stronger than them, dwarfing them the way any hyena queen would. And she _was_ a queen. Naomi had been born a dominant female, and Bud and Lou didn't dare disobey her.

The two stopped their attack, becoming as submissive as lambs.

Coyote smiled, reaching out to scratch Naomi's ears. "Well done dear heart." He murmured, proud of the pup he had raised. He looked to Batman. "She can keep them in line until the authorities arrive."

Batman nodded. To Kaldur he stated grimly. "Get your team home."

* * *

_Recognize. Kid. Flash. B. Zero. Two. Robin. B. Zero. One. Coyote. A. Two. Six._

"We've seriously got to upgrade your zeta designation from that temporary one." Robin muttered as he and Coyote came through the zeta after Wally.

The rest of the team had already come through and were waiting for them in the living room.

"All I'm saying is, I don't get why Batman sent us back here! We could've waited for the authorities, and isn't more eyes keeping watch on the Joker a _good_ thing?" Wally grumbled.

"He sent us back because of me." Coyote stated softly.

All eyes turned to look at him, and it was with shock that most of them realized he was leaning on Robin for support, his free hand wrapped around his waist to try and staunch the wound.

Robin glanced up at him anxiously. "How're you holding up?" Coyote merely shook his head, worrying the boy wonder even more. "You think you can make it to the med bay?"

Coyote shook his head again. "I'll try, but…" blue grey eyes suddenly rolled back and closed, and the teen passed out with a soft sigh. Wally zipped forward, helping Robin catch the now unconscious vigilante before he could crumple to the ground.

"What the heck just happened?" Artemis exclaimed, moving forward with the others to help.

Robin grunted under the larger boy's weight. "Joker landed the switchblade, remember? Coyote's been muscling his way through the pain up to now. I don't know how deep it went, but Joker must've landed a better shot than I thought if Coyote's to the point of passing out!"

Conner calmly picked the unconscious boy up, cradling him. "Medical bay?" he asked.

Kaldur nodded. "Medical bay." He agreed. "Robin, Kid Flash, retrieve some of the clothing we gave him from his room. We will need to remove his bloody uniform."

Robin leapt on Wally's back and the two took off, the boy wonder piggybacking on the speedster. At the door to Coyote's room Robin slid off, quickly tapped in a code and the doors slid open, allowing the boy's entry.

Wally zipped in and grabbed a pair of dark sweats and a black t-shirt from the drawers. "Dude! Since when did you know the access code to Coyote's room?" he asked, darting back out.

"Don't forget that leather mask of his." Robin reminded him grimly. Once the speedster had grabbed it, he climbed aboard the older boy's back and they were off again.

"I don't." he added. "I just happen to know Batman's override code."

Wally slid to a stop in the medical bay and glanced over his shoulder at Robin as he climbed off. "I'm not sure whether I should be impressed you got that bit of info from the Batman, or whether I should be creeped out that you can essentially get into almost any room you please."

Robin rolled his eyes and ignored the speedster, looking instead to Artemis, who was currently working the med lab computer that monitored Coyote's vitals. "How's he doing?"

Artemis moved aside so her more computer savvy teammate could get to the keyboard. "I'm no doctor, but it doesn't look good…"

Robin's eyes narrowed as he read what the screen had to tell him. "Scanners say Joker caught some of his vitals…missed his lungs by about a hairs breadth, but he got anything else within reach…" the bird swore under his breath, his native tongue coming through in his distress.

Kaldur placed a hand on Robin's shoulder.

Robin glanced up at his leader's face and nodded, drawing a deep breath and apparently getting back some measure of calm. "The switch blade was really thin. The surface wound was really small, so most of the bleeding was internal. Short of a _major _surgery by people who _know_ what they're doing, he's not gonna last much longer!"

M'Gann looked up from the floor, her fingers still pressed to the com in her ear. "I'm talking to Uncle J'onn up in the watchtower. He says Canary got hung up in Star, and the Atom's currently microscopic in the middle of a bomb! He's sent Superman to get a surgeon in from Star Labs but…" she trailed off, looking anxiously to Coyote.

Robin shook his head grimly. "I'm not sure he can last that long."

There was a long moment of silence, then Conner's hesitant voice broke the silence. The clone was the one currently holding a gauze pad against Coyote's wound.

The gauze already had some red spots seeping through.

"Maybe…" he flushed a little as six sets of eyes rounded to look at him. "…maybe he won't half to…"

* * *

DUN! Dun! dun! Traded in one endangered life for another endangered! Ya gots ta love it!

Review if you want Coyote to survive and tell the team a few important secrets!

Until next time...


	15. Healing

Hey you guys, I'm officially home! So hopefully I'll be able to get more writing done! Someone asked where Chattenooga was, so for those of you wondering, that's in the grand old state of Tennessee. And it was amazing!

Shout outs to: SevenSilences, YouWhelmedYet, RebornWhole, and Guest. And a special shout out to a newcomer to , JosieRose my dear Beta (and incidentally is my sister, so all the Beta work is essentially reading aloud in the car to her, mom, and my borhter) Welcome sis!

* * *

ENJOY!

* * *

"Well spit it out Conner!" Wally called. "Time's a wastin'!"

Conner looked nervously to Zatanna.

The magician starred at him for a long minute, growing paler by the second. "Conner, I… I'm not powerful enough for something like this…!"

The rest of her team looked at her in surprise.

"You can heal?" Artemis exclaimed.

Zatanna gave a jerky nod. "Y-yeah! But I'm not powerful enough to heal a wound like _this_! The biggest I've ever done is cuts and bruises!"

"Zatanna, you _have _to do it! You heard M'Gann, Coyote's gonna die before anyone can get here!" Artemis urged.

Zatanna frantically shook her head, apprehension on her face. "I can't! I-I'm not strong enough!"

"Zatanna…" Robin touched her arm and Artemis abruptly cut off.

Robin moved forward and caught hold of Zatanna's hands. "Zee." He said gently. "All you've ever done is cuts and bruises?" she nodded and he went on. "That's all this is. It's a little cut that went way to deep."

Zatanna shook her head. "Robin I…"

He smiled and cut her off. "_Zee._ I've seen you do _incredible _things. We all have." He gestured to Coyote lying on the table. "You don't have to heal everything if you can't handle it all. The surface wound can heal on its own, it's the _inner_ damage that's the problem. If you can fix _that_, Coyote _might _make it till the doctors get here."

Zatanna still looked uncertain.

"We're not asking you to make promises Zee." Robin reassured. "We're just asking you to give it a shot. Ok?"

Zatanna nodded. "Ok." She quietly stepped past Robin toward the table, pulling her hands from his. "We need to get his shirt out of the way."

"You got it!" Wally zipped forward, quickly sliding the leather mask underneath Coyote's fur one before pulling the fur one off the unconscious teen's head. Once it was off he quickly grabbed the ties for the leather one and knotted them off behind Coyote's head. "M'Gann, mind lifting him up for a sec?"

M'Gann nodded, eyes glowing silver green. Apparently still listening to her uncle on the other end of the com, she held out her free hand and lifted Coyote up off the table about a foot with her mind.

Within the space of a few seconds Wally had completely stripped Coyote of his uniform, replacing the buckskins with the warm sweats he'd brought from Coyote's room. As Zatanna was going to need to get at the wound, he left the teen shirtless for the time being.

"All set Zee! Do your thing!"

Zatanna stared down at the unconscious boy, at the life they were asking her to save. She'd never been faced with a situation like this, where she was the only hope. Before she had always had her father to fall back on should she fail. But Zatarra was the host body to Fate now.

He wasn't here to help her any more.

She held her hands out over the comatose Coyote, what the team jokingly referred to as the 'wizard' pose because it looked like the pose most magic users struck in movies. If they didn't have a wand or some such like that.

She couldn't _afford_ to fail now.

She closed her eyes, taking a deep breath to steady herself as she carefully thought of the words she wanted to use. Then she glared down at the wound that was leaching Coyote's life away.

"Dnuow sih laeh!"

The glittery dark grey smoke that characterized her magic seemed to burst into being against Coyote's skin, covering his wound. Zatanna grit her teeth, doing her best to hold the spell to completion.

The smoke soon dissipated, leaving the raven haired magician swaying on her feet. Kaldur and Robin were quick to catch her.

"Did it work?" Wally asked, anxiously shifting from foot to foot. The speedster was practically vibrating.

Robin rolled his eyes. "Check the screen KF."

"Oh. Right!" Wally hurriedly scrambled over to the computer, speed reading the new results coming in from the latest scans. A huge grin lit his face. "Shedidit!Shetotallydiditand…"

Artemis calmly slapped Wally across the back of the head. "You have exactly three seconds to slow it down and tell us what's going on, or else." She growled in warning.

Wally winced and nodded. He turned and gave an exhausted Zatanna a big thumbs up. "You did it Zatanna! You totally did it!" Zatanna gave him a weak smile and he hurried on, careful not to let himself lapse into speedster talk. "It looks like she was healing him from the inside out. She didn't quite make it to the surface wound, but she got his insides all straightened out!" Glancing back at the computer he added. "He lost a lot of blood. He might need a quart or so before all this is over, but he'll make it!"

"Told you you're incredible!" Robin laughed.

Zatanna heaved a relieved sigh. "Do me a favor?"

He shrugged. "Sure."

She grinned and ruffled the boy wonder's dark hair. "Don't ever quit being my personal pep squad…"

* * *

Batman watched as the authorities herded Joker and Harley into the back of an armored van.

True to form, the two were kicking and screaming, totally debasing themselves. The animal control van was just pulling up in the parking lot as the armored van pulled out.

"Um…Batman? Sir?"

He turned his head slightly to look at the young rookie cop at his elbow. And there was no doubt he _was_ a rookie. The kid was young, having the sort of fresh faced innocence that said he hadn't yet been exposed to all the atrocities the older more experienced officers had seen.

He was shaking in his boots.

Batman arched an eyebrow. "What is it Officer Thomas?" he asked, getting the man's last name off of his badge.

The young cop nervously offered up a set of plastic bags. "A-are these, yours?"

Inside each of the plastic bags was one of three knives. A switchblade, a deer horn knife, and a smaller deer horn dagger. The switchblade was blood stained. The dark knight calmly reached out and took two of the three bags.

"These two belong to Coyote."

The young rookie nodded. "Yes sir." Glancing at the three hyena's sitting off to one side, he winced. "Um… how are you controlling them…?"

Batman repressed the urge to smile. "I'm not. She is." He motioned to Naomi.

Officer Thomas starred at him. "That hyena's yours?"

Batman shook his head slightly. "No. She's a loan from a fellow crime fighter."

The rookie starred at him, incredulous. "_She_?"

"I'm telling you, that's how it works! Grab the big one and the others'll follow him!" An irritable voice suddenly yelled.

The two turned.

Two animal control workers were trying to drop a pair of slip loops on sticks around Naomi's neck. Naomi was having none of it, dancing this way and that to keep her head out of the noose.

One of the two catcher's sticks got too close.

Naomi made her feelings on the matter known, suddenly closing her powerful jaws over the fiberglass stick and putting several cracks in it when she crunched down.

"Jeeze!" the man yelled, dropping the stick.

"Naomi."

The hyena stopped at the sound of her name. She dropped the catchers stick, cocking her head at the dark knight. He slowly approached, pointing to Bud and Lou and then at the open back of the animal control van.

That was what Coyote had said she would respond to.

Naomi cackled and turned to the other two hyenas. She bullied the clearly reluctant males up the ramp into the back of the truck, growling and snapping at them when they attempted to get away. She stood there on the ramp, baring their way to freedom.

Waiting for the dark knight's call.

"As soon as she's off the ramp, close the door." Batman ordered. The men nodded nervously, completely cowed. He waited until the two were in position on either side of the ramp, then he called for her.

"Naomi. Come."

The hyena yipped and hurried back to him. Her pack mate had told her to stay with this dark stranger, and to do as he said. Until she and her friend had joined this strange new pack, in which there seemed to be no clear dominant, Coyote had never left her behind like this.

He had asked her to wait for him before, but he had never left her behind with another two leg. Now today he had done it twice. She shook her head, ears flapping against either side of her skull. He had always returned for her before, or called her to him.

She had no doubt that Coyote would claim her from this man he had left her with.

The two animal control workers hurriedly slammed the door shut on Bud and Lou. The hyena's could be heard inside, loudly voicing their displeasure.

Batman turned and stalked away, Naomi at his side.

Over his shoulder, he had one parting statement for Officer Thomas. "You'll find Joker's personal effects in a plastic bag against the wall over there. Commissioner Jim Gordon in Gotham city will contact the Boston authorities to discuss Joker and Harley's return to Gotham."

He silently made his way into the hidden alley ways of Boston, quickly disappearing from the sight of the authorities and bystanders. "Come Naomi." He whispered to the hyena. "It's time we got back to Mount Justice to check on your master…"

* * *

"You did well." Canary murmured to the team.

The surgeon nodded, laying in the final stitches in Coyote's side. "Indeed." He agreed. "If you hadn't shown me the footage, I never would've believed it." he shook his head. "Imagine, _magic_!"

Zatanna blushed. Ever since he had been shown the security tape documenting Coyote's partial healing, the surgeon had been regarding her with something close to wonder.

**_He can't seem to get over the fact that magic is real. He won't stop staring! _**She thought to the others via the psychic link.

**_He must be new to Star Labs then. _**Robin thought back, grinning. **_If it's an injury we can't handle, they're the ones we generally turn to. They deal with magic users, meta-humans, and several flavors of alien pretty regularly. _**

"Will he be alright?" M'Gann anxiously asked aloud.

The surgeon nodded. "Thanks to this spectacular young lady, I should say so! The cut will still take some small amount of time to heal, but it's been reduced to barely a fifth of its original four inch depth, greatly reducing the healing time." He said, picking up a gauze pad from the wheeled cart of medical supplies stationed nearby.

He frowned.

"However…" he lightly ran his finger over the skin around the stitches he'd just laid in. "..I'm not entirely sure what to make of this odd discoloration. Is this the norm for magical healing like the one you used today?"

Canary frowned. "Discoloration..?" she repeated, leaning in to have a closer look.

The surgeon nodded, moving his hand so she could see. The skin around the stitches for an inch in all directions had apparently been bleached. It was now a blotch of pure snowy white skin, fading seamlessly into his normal shade of warm brown along the edges.

The surgeon shook his head, rubbing a thumb over the pale skin to show that it didn't rub off. "Whatever was done, it does not appear to be removable."

Black Canary looked to the team, Zatanna in particular. "I've never seen a healing spell do that before. Does that always happen when you work a healing spell?"

Zatanna shook her head. "No. I've never tried to do something like this before." She hung her head, ashamed. "I must've done _something_ wrong."

Artemis wrapped an arm around Zatanna's shoulders, giving her a comforting squeeze. "I think Coyote would agree with me on this. Better another scar than another tombstone."

Robin nodded. To Canary he added, "I had the computer run some in depth scans of that spot. Whatever else Zatanna did, she didn't hurt him. So far as we can tell, the white flesh is just as alive and well as the rest, just bleached."

Black Canary gazed down at the unconscious young man.

His wound was taped over with a gauze pad, and his heart was beating strong. His breathing was deep and even, and the I.V. inserted in the back of his hand was slowly replacing the blood he had lost. "Is there anything we should know to watch out for?"

"No." the surgeon answered. "As soon as that bag's empty you can take the I.V. out, he won't need it for anything else. The wound is small. Barring any complications, he should be able to get back on his feet as soon as he wakes up."

He gave Canary a look. "However, that doesn't mean he's allowed to go about as he pleases. He needs to take it easy. Until those stitches come out, he's not to go out crime fighting." He chuckled. "Think you can keep him penned up here?"

"Between myself and his team," Black Canary smirked. "I'm _sure_ of it."

Wally smirked, glancing back at his teammates. **_She really has no idea, does she?_** He thought at them.

Artemis shook her head, grinning. **_I _****doubt****_ it. _**

**_I dare say it will be almost as difficult as when Robin or Wally are ill or injured. _**Kaldur answered, amused.

Zatanna silently groaned at the thought. Robin had been injured several months ago. Keeping a bedridden Robin bedridden had been quite the harrowing experience.

Even with a broken leg, he was still an incredible acrobat.

**_Yeah, but there's a difference here! _**Artemis thought back.

Conner cocked his head. **_What's that? _**

Artemis grinned. **_This time Robin's on _****our ****_side!_**

* * *

Yep, there ya go guys! So Coyote's safe, and you and the team will be learning more about him in the next couple of chapters! If you're itchin' to laugh, check out the one shot I posted yesterday ("Wally's Wacky Riddles"), inspired by my sister JosieRose! It'll be sure to tickle your funny bone!

Review!

Until next time...


	16. On His Feet

Gah! It didn't post! Sorry guys, I don't know what happened. You should've had this update days ago.

Shout out's to: MuzicFox5, YouWhelmedYet, kmack13, and DoggieFanNumber1! You guys make me get traught!

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ENJOY!

* * *

Robin leaned back against the wall, his holo-computer floating in the air in front of him.

On screen was security footage of the infirmary room which currently housed Coyote. He was keeping an eye on Black Canary and the surgeon to make sure neither one got overly curious about Coyote's identity.

Around him was the rest of the team. They were in his room. As the entire mountain had security cameras with the exception of bedrooms, the team had silently agreed over the psychic link to go to his room to talk, after Black Canary had kicked them out of the infirmary.

She said they were hovering.

Zatanna and Artemis had claimed his bed, with M'Gann floating nearby. Robin had taken the floor against the wall, Kaldur had taken the room's only chair. Conner was leaning against Robin's desk. Wally had zipped out and now returned with a pair of bean bag chairs from the living room for him and Robin, closing the door behind him.

"Got em!" he called, grinning. He tossed the two bean bags down and flopped down into one. Robin quickly scooted over on to the bag Wally had brought for him and said speedster leaned over to peer at his computer screen. "They keeping their hands off his mask?"

Robin nodded. "So far they've kept their distance."

Artemis groaned and gave a luxurious stretch. "Good. I'd really hate to have to explain to Green Arrow why Canary has an arrow hole in her jacket."

Kaldur shook his head, smiling a little at his teammates exaggeration. "I doubt such a tactic would be advisable, even under such circumstances as those."

Artemis shrugged. "Either way, it's quite a feather in Coyote's cap, bringing down the Joker the way he did."

Zatanna frowned thoughtfully, resting elbows on her knees. "So… Anyone got any guesses on why Coyote can't beat any of us on the sparring mat, but he can take down the Joker, one of the worst villains Gotham has to offer?"

That put thoughtful expressions on the faces of her teammates.

Conner cocked his head at Kaldur. "Think he's been holding back in practice?" he asked his leader.

Artemis shook her head. "No, I'm pretty sure he's been giving training sessions his all."

Kaldur nodded. "That is my thought as well. I have often sparred with him outside of Black Canary's training sessions. While he does slightly better when not dealing with his feelings of self-consciousness at being watched, he does not have the skill level necessary in hand to hand to defeat the Joker."

Robin glanced up from his holo-computer again. Canary and the surgeon had left the infirmary, but he was keeping the screen up just in case they returned. "Maybe not hand to hand combat, but they weren't exactly fighting hand to hand. They were knife fighting. If Harley hadn't distracted him, he might've taken the Joker down right then and there. He has the anger to push him past his limits…"

Conner frowned and nodded. "That's something else I don't get. He said a lot of weird stuff I didn't understand while he was fighting the Joker…"

M'Gann cocked her head. "Like what?"

"Well, he said he was 'from the reservation', whatever that is. Something about Joker and a child, and someone named JJ. He said he was here at that person JJ's 'behest' to make up for stuff he did because JJ couldn't. JJ's dead. And he said he wasn't above taking revenge."

Wally looked to Robin. "Wasn't JJ the name of…?"

Robin winced and nodded. "Yeah."

Artemis folded her arms over her chest. "Ok, spill it. What do you know?"

Silence fell as Robin gathered his thoughts. He sent his fingers skittering across his holographic keyboard. A bubble popped up on the security footage, the words 'Motion Detectors Activated' scrolling across said bubble. He minimized that window, bringing up a new one.

A few more clicks saw several grainy black and white images taken from security cameras of a boy about their own age come up on his screen.

The boy had exceptionally pale skin, lurid lips that contrasted harshly with said pale skin, and dark eyes and longish dark hair with pale highlights. He was dressed in a suit, wingtip shoes on his feet and a ridiculous looking gun in his hand, a little flag that said 'BANG' sticking out of the end.

On either side of him stood Joker and Harley Quin, their arms wrapped around the teen and huge smiles on their faces, as if they'd purposefully posed for the shot. The similarities between the faces of the teen and the two clowns were extraordinary.

The two hyenas Bud and Lou could be seen in the background.

With the exception of Wally, who seemed to already know, the team moved in closer to get a better look at what Robin had to show them.

"JJ," Robin began. "Is the criminal name of the Joker and Harley Quin's biological son. It stands for Joker Jr. Their only child."

Artemis made a face. "Wait a minute, you mean Harley shacked up with that…?"

Robin nodded.

Zatanna shuddered. "Eww…"

Robin smiled a little at that and went on. "JJ's older than I am. Harley had a relative on an Apache reservation. That's a piece of land set aside for native Americans." He added for Conner's benefit. "She went there to have her son, and she left him there for his great grandma to take care of." He shrugged. "It kept JJ off our radar as well. Batman knew Harley had been pregnant, but when he couldn't find any sign of the kid, he assumed that she'd had an abortion somewhere."

Artemis arched an eyebrow. "The dark knight _assumed_…?"

Robin winced. "It was near the end of year one that all this happened. Anyway, when JJ turned fifteen, Joker decided that it was time 'Joker Jr.' was introduced to Gotham. One of JJ's friends tried to stop him from taking his son, and Joker gutted Danae on the spot. He and Harley brought JJ to Gotham, and the 'Joker family night on the town' began."

"Why would Coyote be trying to get revenge for JJ, if he was as evil as you say he was?" M'Gann asked, leaning forward to get a closer look at the black and white pictures.

Wally leaned back against the wall. "But he wasn't evil." He smiled at their startled looks. "Robin told me that the entire time the clowns were on a rampage, JJ was doing everything he could to help people on the sly. He even saved Bruce Wayne's life by shooting him with a trick bullet."

Kaldur nodded thoughtfully. "And what became of this 'JJ'?"

Robin winced. "Long story short, he came to the conclusion that the only way to protect his grandmother and friends back on the reservation was to take down the Joker. It ended up a mano a mano smack-down, and somehow the house ended up getting blown sky high. We found signs that both of them got out, and that the way they did I doubt they saw each other leave. But there's been no sign of JJ from that day to this."

"How long ago was this?" Kaldur asked grimly.

"It'll be going on two years this coming September." Robin answered.

"…so, Coyote must be one of JJ's friends from back on the reservation." Artemis murmured. She glanced at Robin. "Any ideas who?"

Wally grinned and lightly smacked Robin's arm. "Yeah dude, you're supposed to be the great detective. You've gotta have _some _idea who he is!"

Robin chuckled. "I do actually."

His friends gave him startled looks. They'd been joking! They hadn't expected him to _actually_ know!

"Well spill it already!" Artemis exclaimed.

Robin shook his head. "No. I kept your secret until you were ready to tell us on your own, I'm not going to out Coyote." Artemis immediately shut up. Robin sighed and leaned his head back against the wall behind him. "And besides, while I'm pretty sure I _know_ who he is, I don't have anything concrete. It's all just hunches and hearsay. Coyote knows how to keep a secret."

Outside in the hall they could hear the computer chiming out a pair of new arrivals. _Recognize. Batman. Zero. Two. Naomi. C. Zero. Three._

The teens looked at each other, then hurried from the room to go meet the returning dark knight.

They caught up to him just outside the infirmary doors, quietly talking with the surgeon and Black Canary.

Naomi gave a soft whine, pawing at the doors. She could smell her pack mate inside. Robin quietly stepped closer, activating the doors. Naomi darted inside with an excited yip.

"No! Don't let that animal in there, she might disrupt the cords and I.V.!" the surgeon yelled.

No one paid any particular attention to him in this case. They merely followed the hyena inside.

Naomi nosed at Coyote's hand anxiously, whining when he made no response. She moved farther up, nosing at his cheek and licking at him.

Still no response.

Wally shook his head as he watched. "We better hope he comes through this alright, cause that's gonna be one seriously devastated hyena if he doesn't…"

* * *

**_Wakey, wakey….!_**

Coyote winced, a bright light was shining down on his eyelids. Somewhere nearby he could hear a heart monitor quietly picking up its pace as he struggled his way back to consciousness.

**_Good morning star shine. The earth says hello!_**

He frowned. What?

Coyote forced his eyes to open. The bright lights of a medical bay shone down on him. He'd only been in the Mountain's infirmary twice. Once when the team gave him the tour of the mountain, and the other time after they'd returned from their mission in Central City.

Given the track record with Ivey in the past, Batman had not so much insisted as told them they were going to get the once over to make sure they hadn't accidentally carried any spores, thorns, seeds, or pollen home with them. Or any other type of plant material for that matter.

He winced as he remembered the who's and wherefores of this particular visit.

**_Up and at 'em. _**Mini Me chimed in with exaggerated false cheerfulness. **_You, are officially screwed…!_**

Goosebumps rose on the bare skin of his upper body and Coyote gave a quiet groan. He slowly pushed himself up a little to rest on his left elbow, taking stock of his situation. He was in a medical bay. He wasn't certain whether it was one of the league ones or whether it was the one in Mount Justice, there was really nothing to distinguish this one from the one Canary had treated him in up in the Watchtower.

Pain twinged his side and he glanced down, tracing his fingers over the tape and gauze pad there.

He was dressed in a pair of darkly colored sweats that he dimly recognized as one of the articles of clothing the guys had given him, and there was a black t-shirt draped over a chair nearby.

He was injured. Someone had seen to that injury. In order to do that, they had had to remove his uniform.

He gave a tired smirk. **_Good thing I stained every inch of skin. _**He thought. Otherwise they would've been met with blinding white skin when they removed his bloody uniform.

Remove his uniform…

His hand flew to his face. Cool leather met his questing fingers, and he quickly traced out the familiar outlines of his tooled leather mask. They'd replaced his mask.

That meant someone had seen his face!

**_Like I said, you are _****so ****_screwed. _**Mini me answered.

Coyote shook his head. **_No. _**He thought back, still a little fuzzy, trying to deny the truth of it. **_They wouldn't do that to me. They could've slipped the mask on me without looking, one right under the other. They didn't necessarily have to have seen…_**

But they'd been in his room. They'd had to, to go get those clothes from his dresser drawers for him. Who was to say they didn't do a little snooping? He shook his head. No, he trusted them.

Or rather, he trusted the team…

A tug and a slight sting of pain in his right arm when he tried to sit up farther stopped him, drawing his attention. An I.V. line had been attached to his right arm. Now that he was paying attention, he realized that several small monitors had been taped to different spots on his chest as well.

**_Well those are gonna have to go. _**Mini Me muttered sarcastically as he carefully peeled the monitors off and sat up.

Coyote chuckled and sat up the rest of the way before very carefully removing the I.V. from his arm. **_This too. _**He thought.

Besides, whatever they had been piping into his arm had long since run out, as the bag was empty.

He swung his legs over the side of the table and hopped down on the floor. Cool stone met his bare feet. Ok. He was in Mount Justice then. If that were the case, there was a good chance the team had had a hand in his care, and he trusted them completely. Especially Robin.

They would never betray his confidence like this.

Mini Me snorted. **_Poor, sappy optimist. _**

Coyote shrugged, reaching for the t-shirt. **_Eh, I'm more of a glass half full type. At least then you've got something to hope for._**

**_ Hope. _**Mini Me muttered. **_That's where you and I are different. You're the hopeful idiot who see's the glass half full. I'm the realistic half of your brain that see's the glass half empty._**

Coyote rolled his eyes. **_Do tell. Personally, I've never been a pessimist, so I think you're a person all to yourself. You just happened to be born out of the pain of my mind during a chat with Pops. _**

His bloody uniform had been dropped in a heap nearby, forgotten in all the excitement. He silently fished through the bloodstained buckskin's and coyote fur until he found what he was looking for.

The black leather choker was tangled up in his shirt.

The teen calmly checked it over, making sure it hadn't been damaged, then fastened it around his neck. No one would've ever guessed how crucial this small piece of leather was to his disguise. Almost as crucial as his mask, or the stain that dyed his pale skin the warm tan color his friends knew.

He crept from the infirmary on silent feet, listening and scenting carefully for his friends as he made his way down the hall.

* * *

And he's up! Boy is the team in for a surprise or three!

Review!

Until next time...


	17. Wait's Over

Hey guys, got a lot to do today so this is going to be a quickie. But have no fear, I'll try and get another update later on tonight!

Shout out's to: DoggieFanNumber1, SevenSilences, Kmack13, and RebornWhole! You guys show us the meaning of the words 'Awe-smacking awesomeness'! (as a matter of fact I have been watching Kung Foo Panda again. rofl)

* * *

ENJOY!

* * *

In the briefing's room, Robin flopped down on the edge of the holo-mat next to Naomi.

At first the hyena had refused to leave her master's side once Batman brought her back to the mountain, but the team had eventually convinced her to come outside with them for water and a potty break.

It had been almost twenty-four hours since then, and she still refused to eat.

She stayed with the team, even deigning to play with them and Wolf, but every hour on the dot no matter what she was doing she would get up and trot back to the infirmary to check on Coyote. Robin had actually rigged the doors so that they would open when the sensors monitored her approach.

She'd come back from just one such mission about twenty minutes ago while he'd been on the sparring mat with M'Gann.

The Martian could present a real challenge with her ability to fly and go invisible. But if she used powers, that meant the gloves were off and he could use his toys too. Gas pellets were exceptionally useful, allowing him to 'see' her even if she was invisible.

He shook his head and pulled up the holo-computer on the wrist of his glove.

This wasn't one of Black Canary's training sessions. If they were being honest, this wasn't even training. This was eight teenagers, so bored and anxious they were almost ready to literally start crawling the wall, trying to let off some steam. They were worried about their friend and teammate.

Robin's hand flew over the holographic keyboard, bringing up the stats of the med lab's computer. Beside him, Naomi's head shot up from where it had been resting on her paws, but he was too distracted to care. His eyes kept getting wider and wider in dawning horror as he read the readout on the screen.

According to the computer in the medical bay, Coyote had completely flat lined fifteen minutes ago!

"Coyote!" Robin leapt to his feet, intent on rushing down to the infirmary on the off chance that there was still time to save his friend and teammate.

"…is a little the worse for wear, but still vertical." A familiar voice answered.

Naomi yipped and shot to her feet, racing strait across the holo-mat between the sparring Kaldur and Artemis to get to her master, who'd come in through the door on the other side.

All motion on the part of the teenagers stopped as everyone turned to stare.

Naomi slid to a Scooby Doo style halt right in front of Coyote, knowing that he was hurt and should be treated more gently for now. But that didn't stop her from hopping up on her hind legs, planting her forepaws on his chest and littering as much of his chest, neck, and chin as she could reach with kisses.

Coyote laughed, hugging her for all he was worth while his teammates excitedly gathered around. He smiled at them. "Thank you." He whispered. "Thank you for looking after her for me."

Wally grinned. "We looked after you too! By the time the league got here we'd switched your mask out for the leather one. We just slipped it right under the other one!" he suddenly seemed to think of something and added. "We had to go into your room, but don't worry, you don't have to set up a new password or anything. Rob snitched Batman's override code."

Coyote chuckled.

He already knew that Wally and Robin had been the one's to go to his room, and that Wally had been the one to grab his things. Scents left behind indicated beyond doubt that the two had remained honest, opening nothing but his dresser drawers to get what they absolutely needed. And there was no scent other than those of the team on his mask.

They had protected him.

He sighed, his shoulders drooping a little. They trusted him, cared for him, and had defended his secrets from their mentors. All without knowing his name. He had already trusted Robin, and his trust and friendship in his team had been growing by leaps and bounds! But this…

…this sealed the deal.

It was time someone knew the truth, and he could think of no one he would rather share his secrets with.

"You have all been true friends." He said softly. "Even though you had no idea who I was." He saw them opening their mouths to tell him that name's didn't matter, and he hurriedly cut them off.

"You had faith in me…"

He smiled and gently stroked Naomi's blocky head. "Well, sometime's faith should be rewarded. If you'll give me some time to return to my quarters for a few things, and if Robin will disable the security cameras so the league doesn't find out... I'll show you who I am."

Despite the obvious excitement of the team at the prospect of finally finding out, Kaldur placed a webbed hand on Coyote's shoulder. "It is not necessary my friend, we value your friendship no matter who lives beneath the mask. Are you certain you wish to do this?"

Coyote smiled. "The mask was always to protect my friends and family Kaldur, not me. I trust the team, and to be honest I'm sick of masks." Looking up into the grey eyes of the Atlantian, his smile softened. "This is what I want Kaldur."

Kaldur nodded. "Very well. Would you prefer us to await you here or in the living room?"

Coyote seemed to think about it for a minute. "The living room." He said at last. "I am not sure how long I'll need in my room, and I dare say the living room would be a more comfortable place to wait."

Kaldur nodded. "As you say. We will await you there."

* * *

**_Are you out of your mind?! _**Mini Me shrieked.

Coyote snorted. "Is that a rhetorical question?" he answered.

He gingerly knelt, his wound protesting slightly, and fished his old ratty backpack out from underneath his bed. The bottle of skin dye was still there, protectively wrapped in furs. There was another glass jar there as well, this one containing the dye he used to keep his hair dark.

He dug deeper into his bag, until at last he came up with a rather ordinary looking block of creamy yellow soap. It had bit's of green in it here and there, and the texture was grainy. Probably due to the plants he'd ground up and added to the soap to give it the properties he'd wanted.

Coyote quietly sighed and pulled off the leather mask, dropping it on the bed.

He stood and made his way to the bathroom, the bar of soap in his hand. He hadn't been lying to Kaldur, he was sick of hiding who and what he was from everyone around him, friend and foe alike.

He glanced in the bathroom mirror at the tanned face gazing back at him and paused. "It's time I stripped off this mask." He whispered.

**_…We are so going to end up in a padded cell…_** Mini Me thought back at him mournfully.

* * *

"All set?" Artemis asked.

Robin nodded from his spot on the back of the couch. He downsized his computer and flopped back so his head hung off the front of the couch. "Camera's are all looking at loop footage of empty hallways, and the living room will cut out just before Coyote walks in, so hopefully Batman won't know I've been playing around his system until after the fact."

Wally shifted uneasily, the suspense really starting to get to him. "How long's it been?"

Zatanna rolled her eyes and patiently leaned over the counter that divided the kitchen from the living room so she could see the clock. "We're a few minutes short of a half hour Wally."

Wally made a face. "Gah! It feels like I've been sitting here for hours!"

"Patience is a virtue…" Artemis snickered.

"He was still injured." M'Gann murmured softly. "Could something have happened to him?"

Beside her, Conner suddenly looked up, his enhanced hearing picking up the sound of someone making their way down the hall towards them, the click of blunt claws telling him it was Naomi with them since Wolf was here.

He rose from his seat on the couch.

"Wait's over..."

* * *

Am I aware that that is an evil cliffhanger? Why yes... yes I am...

Lol, review so I can post the next chapter soon!

Until next time...


	18. Answers

(Thoroughly guilt tripped and lightly chastised by Alfred) Ok ok! I'm posting!

Shout out's to: Kmack13, SevenSilences, DoggieFanNumber1, YouWhelmedYet, and Rebornwhole! The reports of my evilness are greatly exaggerated! Here you shall have many, if not all, of your answers! So have a cyber cookie and enjoy! (::)

* * *

ENJOY!

* * *

The team rose from their seats, all turning to get a look at Coyote sans his mask. Their eyes widened in shock however when it wasn't Coyote they saw.

The Joker slowly stepped into the light.

"I don't know how you got in here clown, but you're going down!" Conner yelled, running at the madman. After all, Joker's small daggers and switch blades would be completely ineffective against him, and so long as he held his breath, so would the Joker's venom.

A pair of hands suddenly hit the tops of his shoulders and were gone again.

Robin landed several feet in front of him, placing himself directly in between Conner and the Joker. For a second, Conner thought the boy wonder just wanted first crack at the madman, but then he realized that Robin had landed facing _him!_

Robin held up his hands, an urgent note in his voice. "Conner _stop_!"

The Kryptonian slid to a stop. He could feel the rest of the team piling up behind him, hear them scrambling to a stop just as he had.

"Dude, that's the Joker!" Wally yelled.

Robin shook his head, slowly lowering his hands. "No it isn't." He turned halfway to look at their guest. Naomi was sitting behind the clown and she gave a questioning yip.

The pale figure shuffled uncertainly, nervously rubbing his arm. "….hello Robin." He murmured softly.

Robin smiled. "I thought it might be you under that mask JJ."

Now that they were actually taking the time to look, they could tell that this wasn't the madman they had fought the day before. Though he had the white skin, red lips, and green black hair they had come to expect, there were differences as well. He had the high cheekbones and long hair of a stereotypical Indian, and the same blue grey eyes as their teammate Coyote.

Said teen made a face. "Please don't call me that Robin. I told you once before, my name's Damon."

Robin grinned. He stepped closer and gave his friend a quick hug. "It's good to see you again Damon." He answered. "When we didn't hear from you after the house blew up, we were afraid you'd crawled away to die in a gutter somewhere."

Damon raised an eyebrow. "In a gutter huh? I couldn't have a little class and die in a penthouse somewhere? …You weren't afraid that I'd been blown sky high?"

Robin snorted. "I know they say third time's a charm, but I'd already seen you live through _two_ bomb fires! That and we found you and the Joker's footprints leading away from the house, so we knew you didn't die in the explosion."

"Ah, right." Damon chuckled. He shook his head. "But a part of me _did_ die in that fire Robin. As far as I'm concerned, JJ, the son of the Joker died in that house fire. There's only me and Coyote now." Looking past Robin at the rest of the team, he winced at their stunned expressions. "You see now why I was so desperate to make sure neither you nor the league found out. With both my parents being criminals…"

**_More like your father is the spawn of Satan and you're mom's one of his imps…_** Mini me muttered.

Artemis suddenly got a stubborn look on her face and shouldered her way past Wally and Conner. She came to a stop in front of Damon, putting her hands on her hips. "What does it matter who your parents are?"

He starred at her. "My parents are some of the worst criminals Gotham has to offer!"

Artemis nodded and jerked her thumb at her chest. "Artemis Crock, daughter to the Huntress and Sportsmaster, and sister to the Cheshire Cat. Currently protégé to Green Arrow and a member of the team. Your point being?"

Coyote starred at her, stunned.

Conner nodded. "Conner Kent. I was cloned from the DNA of Superman and Lex Luthor."

Kaldur gave a tight smile. "Kaldur'ahm. Son of Black Manta, the greatest enemy of my lord and king." He got a few surprised looks at that, but no one commented. He couldn't blame them, he'd only just found out himself not too long ago. He smiled. "Just as your mask did not matter to us, neither does you parentage."

**_…Wow, these kids might not be so bad after all! _**Mini Me exclaimed.

Coyote starred at them, that familiar smile slowly creeping over his face. "Thank you."

Robin grinned and motioned towards the couch. "Have a seat Damon! You've got a lot of explaining to do…!"

* * *

Once everyone was settled, Robin began the questioning.

"So spill. What happened that night?"

There was no need to ask what night Robin was referring to. Damon sighed, scratching Naomi behind the ears. "I went looking for my father. With so many of his secret hideouts not so secret anymore, there weren't really that many places left for him to run. I got to the house just in time to see him go in." he shrugged. "I suckered him into opening the door. We fought, he got a gun somewhere, and the bullet hit some dynamite he had stored in the basement. The whole house came down like a crappy little erector set after that."

**_With us in it! _**Mini Me interjected.

"So you dragged yourself out and… what? Where'd you go Coyote-gah I mean, _Damon_?" Wally asked, catching himself when he used the wrong name.

Damon smiled. "It's ok Wally. Coyote or Damon, both are me. And I'll answer to either."

**_He answers to 'idiot' as well. _**Mini Me added.

Damon ignored him. "I got out of the house, and once the cops and the dynamic duo left the scene I hightailed it for one of my dens to 'lick my wounds' so to speak. I…borrowed a few things from one of my father's hideouts, and I used them to carve out a life for myself."

"And you seem to have done quite well." Kaldur commented.

Robin nodded as he arched an eyebrow at Damon. "He has. But I do have _one_ question…"

Damon cocked his head. "Shoot."

The boy wonder grinned. "You don't _have _super powers of your own." He said, surprising the rest of the team with this info. "You're just as human as me, or Artemis. So how did you fake it? The enhanced senses, the paw prints where footprints should be, the turning into a _coyote_?"

**_Which is just about the most ridiculous 'super power' I've ever heard of… _**Mini Me muttered.

"Yeah, and how come your voice sounds different now?" Zatanna added.

Damon smiled. He fished in his pocket, pulling out the familiar piece of black leather he usually wore around his neck. "As I'm sure Robin is aware, the Joker has some skill with mechanics, bombs in particular. That mechanical affinity is one of the _few_ things that I've been happy to share with him."

He passed the leather choker to Zatanna. "There's two strips of leather there. Sandwiched in between is a series of circuits. It deepens the voice of the person wearing it. Considering how many people heard _my_ voice during my tenure as Joker Jr., I didn't want there to be the slightest chance of anyone recognizing it."

"And, I'm guessing similar improvements to your costume set you up with the extra abilities?" Wally asked, the science geek in him coming out to play a little.

Damon nodded. "There's a slight force field focused on the space between the soles of my moccasins and the ground. So long as I'm wearing them, my feet never touch the ground. It was a simple matter to manipulate the shape of the force field so that it would leave paw prints behind. And implants in both my masks saw me with enhanced hearing and smell."

"And the Coyote thing?" Conner asked.

"That took a little more effort." Coyote chuckled. "The belt of my uniform is essentially a holographic projector." Seeing the look on Wally's face he added, "And _yes_ Wally, it _was_ as hard as it sounds to shield the glow from the projector without interrupting the hologram itself. We can discuss it later. But it allows me to appear in either the shape of a real coyote, or to become invisible."

**_…ok, I'll admit the invisibility thing was pretty cool. _**Mini Me admitted reluctantly.

Damon caught hold of the hem of his shirt, lifting it so that they could see what appeared to be a metallic, braided silver cord wrapping his waist, barely the width of a pencil. "The one in my belt is flat, but I made a second, more compact one to wear when I'm in civvies. There's a similar one around Naomi's neck, hidden under her fur. I hadn't completed it when we first met…"

Kaldur nodded. "That was why you had to distract us to allow Naomi time to escape, you could not hide her as you have done so often since."

"Exactly." Damon answered. "They're all keyed to specific phrases, activated by my voice, natural _or_ disguised."

"Do they hide your skin and hair color too?" asked M'Gann curiously.

He chuckled and shook his head. "No. Homemade hair dye and skin stains saw to it that I looked like the stereotypical native American. I just have to reapply them every now and again."

**_Yeah, it only takes you an hour or three in front of the mirror! _**Mini Me complained

Zatanna starred at him. "So _that_ was why the skin around your wound turned white when I healed you! That's your natural color. I didn't do anything wrong at all!" He smiled and nodded, and she sat back against the couch with a sigh of relief.

Wally grinned and reached forward to fondle Naomi's ears. "So where'd she really come from?"

Damon scratched at Naomi's shoulders, eliciting a happy groan from the animal. "Like I said when we first met, she is a treasured gift. I had formed a close bond with my mother's hyenas Bud and Lou. They often protected me from my father when mother wasn't around. She promised me that I might have a pet of my own, and during my captivity, she informed me that she had … '_acquired_' the perfect pup. The pup was hidden away in a certain hideout, and would be waiting for me when my spat with my father was settled."

He shrugged. "I don't know where she came from. I remembered her a few days after the house blew up. With my mother in Arkham, I highly doubted there was anyone taking care of the pup. So I retrieved a small black pup from my father's hideout. We've been together ever since." Damon laughed. "When I first found her, she looked like a normal black pup, and I was _really_ surprised when she started bulking out and sporting spots!"

Mini Me snickered. **_You thought she was the weirdest looking Dalmatian you'd ever seen!_**

Silence fell for a few moments.

"The two cops I lived with while I was in witness protection, Rick and Danny, did they recover?...in all the excitement I forgot to ask you that night."

Mini Me snorted rudely. **_Ah yes, I'd almost forgotten the Tweedle-Dum and Tweedle-Dee of rent-a-cops…_**

Robin starred at Damon. "You haven't…?" Damon shook his head and Robin's tone became softer. "You haven't had any contact with the reservation have you…?"

Damon shook his head again. "No. I completely fell off the map after Pops and I had our smack down."

**_Sure hurt like hell…_**Mini Me deadpanned.

Robin winced. "Batman and I…" he trailed off, unsure of how to say it.

"I read my obituary in the paper." Damon stated matter of factly. "They all think I'm dead don't they?" Robin nodded and the teen heaved a heavy sigh. "It's just as well. Pop's was probably watching Mamaw like a hawk to make sure I hadn't survived to sneak back to her."

"That would be the wisest course of action if he suspected your survival." Kaldur agreed.

Damon snorted. "Pop's is anything but wise. Devious and cunning maybe, but never _wise_." He looked back to Robin. "But Rick and Danny… They came through alright? They'd breathed in a lot of Joker venom when I left them."

Robin nodded. "They were pretty torn up about your death, but Joker's attack on them didn't leave any permanent damage. Rick's got a little bit of a scar on one arm, but other than that…" he trailed off, then suddenly grinned. "Um, Damon? Do you still have that uh…issue?"

**_He's got lots of issues. _**Mini Me muttered. **_You're gonna have to be more specific than that bird brain…_**

Damon cocked his head, wondering where the abrupt change in subject had come from. "Issue?" he repeated.

Robin grinned. "The one you told me about back in the Bat Cave while you were recovering. That little friend of yours who had _nothing_ nice to say to me?" It was very obvious he was trying to hold back a laugh.

Damon flushed, his pale skin making it all the more obvious. "Oh. _That_…."

**_Oh so I'm a _****THAT ****_now? _**Mini Me yelled angrily from the depths of Damon's mind. **_…And since when have I been an issue?! _**

**_ Pretty much since the night you got us chased by that Gotham City police dog. _**Damon thought back.

**_How was _****I ****_supposed to know GCPD uses monster sized pit bulls? _**Mini Me muttered sullenly.

Damon made a face. "Unfortunately." He answered aloud. "And he's taking offense to being referred to as an 'issue'."

Robin laughed. "Sorry, I didn't even think about that."

Wally cocked his head, the look on his face stating that he was confused and working hard to figure something out. "Ok, you've pretty much lost me now. Rob didn't mention anything about… whatever it is you're talking about."

Damon's face flushed even farther. How does one tell your friends that you're essentially crazy and you hear voices in your head?

**_Voice. Not voices. Singular. _****Not ****_plural. _**Mini Me corrected.

Damon ducked his head, refusing to look at his team. Blushing like a school girl, he explained. "Considering how I dressed when I first joined the team, you must've seen my scars."

The team nodded and he went on.

"With two or three small exceptions, those all came from Pops. I didn't quite match up with his idea of the son of the Joker. So, when my mother was absent, my father did his dead level best to drive me insane. Anything and everything from physical torture with knives and other sharp objects, to chemicals, electro shock therapy, sleep deprivation, and psychology. He called them 'father/son chats', and they happened whenever mother and the hyena's weren't there. Mother, Bud, and Lou went on lots and _lots _of long, pretty much pointless errands."

As if sensing his distress, Naomi pulled her head away from Wally and nuzzled her head against Damon's midriff.

He cast her a grateful smile and buried his fingers deep into the warm fur of her mane, keeping his face averted. This was the first time he'd told anyone other than Robin about the torture and torment he'd suffered at his father's hands, and then he'd never described it in any amount of detail.

He pressed doggedly on.

"Somewhere along the line, Pop's succeeded. Sort of at any rate." He shook his head. "The pain, the shocks, the chemicals… All his sick, _twisted _little mind games! In the end, it was just too _much_. A part of my mind just… _broke_. Ever since that night Pops set up that bomb trap for Robin, I've _literally_ been hearing a voice in my head."

Silence reigned.

**_And here comes the part where they give you a white jacket with extra long sleeves and call the padded paddy wagon. _**Mini Me grimly prophesied.

Damon lowered his head to nuzzle into Naomi's warm fur, her familiar scent calming him a little. **_Robin accepted me for what I am. _**He thought back. **_They might not issue me a one way ticket to a cell in Arkham right off the bat…_**

Mini Me snorted. **_Yeah, and I'm Jiminy Cricket._**

**_ You were the one claiming to be my conscience back there in the league's medical bay. _**Damon pointed out helpfully.

"Is he still as long winded as he was that day in the cave?" Robin asked.

Damon kept his face buried in Naomi's fur. "Only on certain subjects." He answered dryly, finding Robin's continued easy acceptance reassuring.

"Like what?" Wally wanted to know.

**_Oh you know, this and that. _**Mini Me answered, his dry tone matching Damon's exactly.

"My apparent idiocy for one." Damon grumbled into Naomi's pelt.

A cool hand rested gently on his shoulder. Damon could feel the webbing between those fingers. He knew it was Kaldur, and he unconsciously stiffened ever so slightly.

If the calm, accepting Atlantian leader rejected him for being insane…

"Do not hide from us my friend." Kaldur ordered him gently. Damon finally dared to raise his head, nervous blue grey eyes meeting calm ocean grey. "Has this voice in your mind ever posed a threat?" Kaldur asked.

Damon understood.

Kaldur was responsible for the safety of his team. He _had _to ask questions like that. For one _fleeting_ instant, he considered lying. But he knew he couldn't.

So, despite Mini Me's strenuous protests, he told the team the truth.

"He…he took my body for a joy ride once back in Gotham while I was asleep." He made a face. "I guess I should be grateful he only put superglue on the front seat of an open cop car, he could've made me rob a gas station or something."

**_That could've been fun! _**Mini Me exclaimed. **_Why didn't I think of that?_**

A small smile touched Damon's face. "I woke up to find myself running from the very angry partner of the cop we'd glued to his seat. Apparently the errant bit of my brain made the very bad decision to prank the human half of a canine unit. The police dog chased us nearly three blocks."

Wally blanched. "A Gotham City police dog? Dude, I _so _would not want to be in your shoes!"

Zatanna cocked her head. "What's wrong with a Gotham police dog?"

Artemis sighed. "Along with all the other breeds you see the different cities use for police dogs, Gotham City is the only city to use Pit Bulls."

Damon could tell from the look on Kaldur's face that this was serious.

"This has only happened once?" Kaldur clarified.

Damon nodded. "He can deny it all he likes, but I think that brush with the pit bull shook him."

**_Did not! _**Mini Me yelled.

Damon ignored him. "He didn't try it again immediately. And the next time he did try, Naomi wouldn't let him leave the den with me. She's bitten me several times to wake me when he tries, and it's been several months since his last attempt."

"How on earth does Naomi know it's not you?" Artemis wondered aloud.

Wally shrugged. "How do dogs know their masters are _going _to have heart attacks or strokes, or epileptic fits? How do they know earthquakes and tornadoes are coming?" he shrugged. "Maybe a sixth sense? An instinct? Who knows, so long as _she _knows it's _not _him."

Kaldur nodded thoughtfully.

M'Gann quietly floated closer to Damon. "If you want, I could take a look." She offered hesitantly.

Wally snapped his fingers. "Of course! Have M'Gann take a lil' look-see at your brain, figure out where Joker screwed you up! She might even be able to fix it!"

Damon starred at M'Gann. "You could do that?"

M'Gann forced a smile on her face and nodded. "I'm not entirely sure I can." She admitted. "Uncle J'onn is still teaching me. But I'd be willing to try if you'd like."

Damon nodded. "If you would."

M'Gann floated closer still, so that she was sitting cross legged in midair right in front of Damon. She lifted her hands, touching the fingers of one hand to Damon's temple, the fingers of the other to her own. Her eyes glowed silver green, and she stepped into Damon's mind.

In front of her, Damon didn't even blink.

* * *

I'm not done with you yet, so don't toss in the towel! And remember how I said this would be the last story with Coyote? ...yeah well, inspiration for a short story struck recently, courtesy of my brother and sister...we'll see.

Questions? Comments? Concerns? Throw them all in that little bin down there and press the blue button! I'll get right back to ya!

Until next time...


	19. What's In a Mind?

Hey fella's! Guess who's updating?

lol, shout out's to: YouWhelmedYet, RebornWhole, Kmack13, SevenSilences, and DoggieFanNumber! Cookies to all! (::)

* * *

ENJOY!

* * *

Damon's mind-scape came into focus.

M'Gann paused a moment to get her bearings. To all extents and purposes, she appeared to be in the middle of a wilderness. Grassy plains and scrubland, the scent of sage strong in the air. And yet, off to one side she could see buildings reminiscent of Gotham sticking up out of the grass.

The reservation's way of life and it's people were a strong influence on Damon. It was a large, important part of his life, and it always would be. But his time in Gotham had left an indelible mark on his mind, and it was now just as much a part of him.

"Damon?" she called.

For a long minute, there was no answer.

A mist suddenly sprang from the ground a little ways away from her, climbing up into the air and quickly resolving itself into Damon. But it was Damon as he truly was, pale, scarred skin and green hair and all.

He looked around himself curiously for a moment, then spotted M'Gann and quickly came to meet her. "What is this place?" he asked, eyeing the Gotham City buildings springing from the grass in the distance.

M'Gann shrugged. "You tell me." She answered. "This is your mindscape."

Damon looked around with renewed interest. "I'm home." He said, sounding stunned. "This is the Nazlini reservation, out in Arizona… but what's the Gotham City library doing here? And all those other buildings?"

M'Gann smiled. "Your mind takes the shape of what's most important to you. Your home and the people you left behind are the biggest pieces, so your mind looks like the reservation. But there's something important in Gotham too, so pieces of Gotham show up here as well. All those buildings are significant to you in some way, though you may not consciously realize it."

Damon shook his head in amazement. "I've never imagined my mind like this…"

M'Gann smiled. "You wouldn't. Most people don't even think about it. But every mind has to have a specific shape, some order to it, or else the mind will break down."

"So they go crazy?" Damon asked, wondering once again what his father's mind looked like.

Again, M'Gann shrugged. "Or they become a vegetable. It's impossible to tell which it'll be."

Damon looked at her in surprise. "How is that? Surely some telepaths should be able to tell which it would be. With how strong _your _mind is…!"

M'Gann shook her head. "It's impossible to tell." She repeated. "Just because a mind is powerful, doesn't mean it's strong. Because it's not the power that matters. A lesser telepath could defeat me easily if they attack me in a way I don't expect, or find a weakness I've overlooked. And a weak mind will sometimes withstand the strain, long after stronger minds have crumbled and fallen away. Every mind will find some way to cope, in an attempt to save itself. Sometimes it isn't enough, and the mind breaks. Other times, it allows that mind to continue on in a new way, and it will often be the better for the trials."

Damon nodded. "I suppose that makes sense…" he gave an embarrassed smile. "Would…would you mind if I explored a little? It's not often I get to see the inside of my head like this, if you know what I mean…?"

M'Gann giggled. "If we're going to find where your mind broke, we're going to have to." Seeing the look he gave her, she hurriedly clarified. "I won't pry, I promise! Your memories are your own - and if there's anything you don't want me to see, there's no way I can go against your wishes without your knowing." She gestured to the landscape around them. "This is all I can see. I can make guesses based on what I see, but that's all it'll ever be unless you tell me otherwise. A guess."

Damon nodded. "…I don't know where Mini Me would be in all of this…" he murmured. He looked around, as if he might see some sort of traffic sign saying 'this way to the errant corner of your mind'. "Maybe the buildings?"

M'Gann took to the air, hovering just above his head. "Ok. Do you want a lift?"

At Damon's nod, she held out her hand and Damon's feet left the ground. She turned, and the two took off toward the dark buildings sprouting from the grassland.

* * *

Eyes watched them from a distance. They narrowed as they watched the Martian carry Damon across the grasslands toward those gothic style buildings so incongruous with the landscape that surrounded them.

Damon could believe whatever he liked.

Mini Me wasn't going down without a fight.

* * *

"This is incredible!" Damon breathed, staring up into the great vaulted dome of the Gotham City public library in awe. He'd been impressed with the building the first time he'd seen it in Gotham, and he was no less impressed now. But what really impressed him this time around didn't have to do with the building.

At least not directly.

"I can't believe the detail!" he said, looking to M'Gann. "I don't even remember a _third _of this! Am I just making up what I can't remember?"

M'Gann smiled and shook her head. "No. That's your subconscious at work. You might not consciously remember much of the library's detail, but some part of your mind still does. Since you're using that image as a template for a part of your mindscape, it must've been a pretty detailed mental picture."

Damon frowned. "Then how come none of the other three buildings we've been in were like this? Those had apache painting decorating the walls and one had a fire pit in the floor! Why's the library different?"

M'Gann gave him a look. "Because it's important." She answered pointedly.

If Damon had been the coyote he'd named himself for, his ears would've been pricked. He ceased all movement, keen eyes looking the interior over with renewed curiosity. Every sense alert. "Do you think he's here?" he asked.

M'Gann was eyeing the bookshelves and high balcony's. "He's somewhere in your mind, and there's only so many places he could hide."

"Split up?" Damon checked.

M'Gann shook her head. "Only as a last resort. Just because this is all in your head doesn't mean we can't be hurt, but only if we forget it's not real. It's just better if we stay together. Depending on how big the break in your mind is, it could very well take both of us."

The two moved slowly through the library, methodically seeking out Mini Me.

More bookshelves, floors, reading nooks, desks, and side rooms than Damon really cared to count later, they still didn't appear to be any closer to finding Mini Me or the special significance the Gotham Library held for Damon.

Damon growled in frustration. "We could search through the buildings alone and it would take us ages! How are we supposed to find Mini in all this wilderness?"

M'Gann placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, smiling encouragingly. "We'll find him." She promised.

Damon sighed and nodded. "Whether or not this works out M'Gann, I'm grateful for your help…" His eye landed on one of the books on the shelf and his voice trailed off.

"Damon?"

The pale skinned teen didn't answer. He slowly stepped away from her. The book that had caught his eye was a deep, murky grey. Damon gently drew the slender book off the shelf, feeling as if this book should be treated with care.

Or perhaps caution.

There was no title, either on the binding or on the cover. No identifying marks of any sort. Just a red silk ribbon draped over the outside of the binding. The thick leather cover was either new or well cared for, but the pages inside appeared to be worn, the edges ragged and corners dog-eared with use.

"Damon…" M'Gann murmured, sounding almost uncertain. "You might not want to…"

Damon spread his hands, allowing the book to fall open between them. In an instant he understood why he had chosen the Gotham library. Why he had given it such a prominent place in his mind's eye.

And he understood what M'Gann had been trying to warn him about…

_Both dark faces were turned to watch him as he was taken from them, the tail lights of the receding car casting a garish red glare upon their features, as familiar to him as his own. _

_They disappeared from his view, and he slid down into the seat, crying inconsolably for their loss. He could feel his mother trying to comfort him, could hear the rise and fall of her voice as she whispered softly to him, but he was unable to make out her words. _

_The sobs tore out of his chest in long drawn out cries as he stared down at his hands, unable to comprehend anything save the bloodstained hands resting limply in his lap…_

Trembling hands slammed the book closed.

M'Gann's hesitant hands came to rest on his shoulders, and it was only then that he realized that he'd fallen to his knees on the marble floor. Damon slowly put the book on the floor, pressing his hands flat against the cover, as if the book could suddenly spring open and unleash it's painful memory on him once more. Tears were streaming down his face, and he couldn't help but expect to see blood staining his hands.

"You knew…"

M'Gann was crying too. He could hear her sniffling a little. "I wasn't sure." She whispered, gripping his shoulder. "Like I said before, only guesses.

He glanced back at her. "You ok?"

She gave him a shaky smile. "That memory…even if I wasn't in your mind to see it, I would've felt it. That memory is a very painful one for you."

"You're an empath." She nodded. He looked back down at the book he'd pinned to the floor. "So… the library..all these books…They're memories." He stood, very gingerly slipping the dreaded book back onto its shelf. "I liked Gotham's library. I spent a couple nights there once before security caught me. I felt safe there. That's why I chose it to guard my memories."

* * *

"Um…Rob? Exactly how long do you think we've got before Batman notices you messed with his system?" Wally asked, nervously shifting his weight for going on the sixth time in the last two minutes.

Artemis snorted. "Or until another leaguer walks in on us and makes the same mistake we almost did?"

Robin grimaced, fingers flying over his keyboard. "I'm monitoring the zetas for early warnings, and the hallways are back on the normal circuit. That should buy us a little leeway, but it's only a matter of time till someone notices that the living room is down."

He paused long enough to glance at the time displayed in the lower corner of his screen. He winced. "M'Gann's been in there almost an hour. We're _really_ pushing it…"

"Then we should 'hedge our bet' so to speak." Kaldur answered calmly. "It would be wise to relocate them both to one of the sleeping quarters." He nodded towards the hall leading toward the team's quarters. "There are many empty rooms that would serve our purpose and are quite close."

Conner shook his head. "We can't. Moving M'Gann to much might break her focus. There's no telling what that would do to either of them."

"Not a problem." All eyes turned to focus on Zatanna. She held one hand out toward M'Gann, palm facing outward towards the Martian girl. "Evom reh!"

There was no hesitation this time, the spell was incredibly simple compared to the healing spell she had been asked to do the day before.

A snake of smoke wrapped around M'Gann and disappeared.

She smiled at the others. "She's already levitating on her own. All I've got to do is push her down the hall. No problem. But someone else is going to need to carry Coyo- Damon."

Kaldur nodded grimly. "Do it. Conner, take Damon. Robin, place the hall camera's on loop once more. Is there any way to fabricate a technical difficulty with the cameras here in the living room to explain the long absence of footage?"

Both the bird and the speedster shared a conspiratorial look, matching grins on their faces.

"Like April Fools day?" Wally checked.

"Like April Fools day." Robin confirmed. "Go for it."

Wally laughed and darted away. Clearly there was a story there, but for now the team refrained from asking.

They would ask later.

Robin looked up from his computer. "Route's cleared. Take any of the empty rooms in the first hallway. Wally and I'll be there in under three minutes. Five tops."

Wally was already back with a step ladder, a screw driver, and a small knife. The speedster set up the step ladder under one of the security cameras and climbed it, loosening the screws in the back of the security camera at super speed.

"Get goin' guys!" he called over his shoulder. "We'll be right behind you…!"

* * *

Lol, now I'm gonna have to come up with a one shot to explain that crack about April Fools day... Anyway, for those of you who are fans of Dr. Who, my sister JosieRose has joined and is currently in the act of writing her second kick ass story for the good doctor. You guys should totally check her out!

Until next time...


	20. How Do You Fight What You Can't See?

Gah! I am SO sorry guys! Life happened and, yeah... Spent an epic week in Wisconsin with my youth group and a dance troupe from Nicaragua called 'Capital on the Edge' (I think. they're either on the edge or on the hill) one of my sister's graduated and then the other is on crutches. So, lots of fun for me.

Shout outs to: Evening Raven, RebornWhole, and Kmack13! You guys keep me trought!

Now I'm gonna go hide from your upcoming wrath...

* * *

ENJOY!

* * *

"We've looked through every single one of these buildings, and Mini Me isn't in any of them."

Damon shook his head. He gave a soft, self deprecating laugh. "I don't even know what he looks like!"

M'Gann shook her head. "It's not like the books in the library Damon." She gestured to Damon, to his dark wash jeans and coal black T-shirt. A red leather and bead bracelet hugged his wrist, and he was barefoot. "The mind clothes itself in such a way that it's able to find what it wants, and to protect what's most important. Like landmarks and disguises. You've always had to hide your past, who you are. So you guard your memories, hiding them in plain sight. But Mini Me isn't something you _want_ to hide from me."

Damon gave her a rueful smile. "Yes I did. I've lost track of how many times I told him to be quiet when you or your uncle were around." He snorted. "Not that he listened very often. I'm pretty sure there were a couple times you heard him…"

M'Gann smiled. "The 'mental chick' comment?"

Damon winced. "Yeah, the 'mental chick' comment. Sorry about that…"

M'Gann waved the apology off. "You don't need to apologize, he's the one that said it." she giggled. "I'll talk to _him_ when we find him."

"So what's our next move?"

M'Gann looked up at the sky speculatively. "Well, he's definitely not here. So we're going to have to search the plains for him. I saw mountains or something in the distance, maybe he's somewhere there?"

Damon made a face. "It's worth a shot, but if the mountains are anything like this, we might never find him."

M'Gann smiled, gently lifting him with her mind. "We'll find him Damon." She promised. She leapt into the air, flying up over the buildings till the two of them could see for miles around.

"Woah…" Damon breathed.

Spread out below them was Damon's mindscape. Miles upon miles of open plains filled with prairie grass, low lying scrub brush, and sage. Like M'Gann had said, mountains could be seen in the distance, and he could see stands of trees dotted here and there a little closer at hand. Off to his left, he could see a river winding its way through his mindscape, the water glittering in the late afternoon sunlight.

"M'Gann, how big is my mind…?"

M'Gann smiled. "The mind uses templates as big, or as small, as it wants to so long as it makes sense to that mind. I've seen minds that looked like their version of the inside's of a star. Or others that were inside one of those little itty bitty earth snails! It is what you need and want it to be. And it'll always be enough so long as the mind isn't broken."

"Could I change it if I wanted to?"

"Um…" M'Gann chewed her lip. "To an extent. You can influence your surroundings here, but I wouldn't do it too much. Your mind isn't _meant _to change that fast, not the infrastructure of it. You could do _permanent_ damage to yourself if you're not really careful!"

Damon winced. "So trying to make it smaller or emptier so we can find him easier is out of the question then."

"If you wanna keep your sanity? Yeah."

"Right." Damon frowned. That river looked familiar…

It suddenly hit him like a ton of bricks. "M'Gann! I know where I am!" The Martian gave him an odd look, like 'duh, we're in your _mind_', and he hurriedly elaborated. And as he explained the mindscape, a plan slowly began to form.

"Do you think it'll work?" he asked her when he finished.

M'Gann frowned thoughtfully. "It might." She admitted reluctantly. "But it's risky. If he gets the better of you while you're in this corporeal state…"

Damon sighed and nodded. "I know M'Gann. _Believe_ me, I know. But this _has_ to end. I can't spend the rest of my life afraid to go to sleep at night, worried that I'll wake up to Naomi biting my hand… And you know that Naomi won't be around forever. What am I supposed to do when she's gone? I can't exactly tie myself to the bed, or ask one of you to _cuff _me every night!" He shuddered. "And I _really_ don't think I could stand being locked away again…"

M'Gann sighed and nodded. "Ok. Which way is it?"

He pointed. "Follow the water. It's upstream, hidden in that grove there."

M'Gann headed for the grove he'd indicated, seeming to put on a burst of speed. As they drew near to the small, thickly wooded grove of trees, a few small birds leapt from the branches. M'Gann carried him down through a small break in the trees.

Underneath the thick tree cover was an open clearing. There was a small spire of rock to one side, a small spring bubbling up from the ground beneath it and flowing down into a shaded pool.

"You'll be alright here?" M'Gann asked, setting him down near the edge of the clearing. She looked around worriedly, as if expecting to see a mountain lion jump out of the trees at her friend any minute.

Damon nodded. "Yeah, I'll be fine M'Gann. Just hurry, ok?"

"I'll be back as soon as I can." The Martian girl promised. She backed up slowly, her feet leaving the ground. "Just… just stay here, ok? Stay here and stay out of sight. I'll come back right after I find Mini Me." She leapt into the air, darting up and out of the trees back toward the buildings.

"Be careful M'Gann…"

Damon moved closer to the pool, settling down on the earth bank. He rolled up his pants legs and slipped bare feet into the water. It was cool, refreshing. He eyed the scars on his legs, tracing them with the tips of his fingers.

Most of the scars were short, slender affairs, administered by a knife or some other sharp object. But there were burn marks there too. Every single one of those scars had a story behind it. He sighed and shook his head.

"My life in scars…" he whispered.

"And quite an interesting life it's been too!"

Damon jumped, whirling around. There was no one behind him. Or was there? Damon's eyes narrowed. M'Gann had said he could influence his surroundings here. If he was careful, maybe it would be alright.

He held his hand out as Zatanna did when casting a spell.

The same mist that he had programmed into the holograph for his and Naomi's mysterious disappearances leapt up from the ground now, blanketing the area in a knee deep fog. And of course, two mysterious holes in the fog showed him _exactly _where Mini Me was standing. The fool was no more than a few feet away.

"Why bother hiding Mini?" he asked, calmly lowering his hand. "I can tell exactly where you are."

There was a string of muttered profanity sent his way, and he could see that Mini Me was backing up a little. "Why do you think I'm hiding?" Mini Me growled. "You're trying to kill me!"

Damon shook his head. "I'm trying to fix the break in my mind." He answered.

"Which will kill me!" Mini Me yelled back.

Damon gave a helpless gesture. "It's not like I have a vendetta against you! I didn't get up this morning and write 'kill Mini Me' on my to do list!"

"Do you really think I _ care _if this was planned or not? I…"

"Damon?"

The mist whirled a little as Mini Me whipped around. Damon took his chance, silently rising to his feet while Mini Me's back was turned. Wandering through the woods, apparently looking for Damon, was Robin. He was dressed in civvies, his usual jeans, t-shirt, sneakers, and red jacket, the ever present sunglasses that protected his identity firmly in place.

"Damon?" he called again, making his way closer to the hidden clearing.

The mist whirling once more showed that Mini Me had whipped around to face him again. "You brought the boy wonder too?" he hissed.

A wolfish smile touched Damon's face, and he was pretty sure he heard Mini Me mutter 'oh no' under his breath. "Not exactly."

Damon threw himself at that spot, tackling Mini Me like a football player. Mini Me yelled in surprise then began to fight back, kicking, squirming, and hitting at the Indian boy in an attempt to make him lose his hold.

Robin burst into the clearing, having apparently been attracted by the sounds of the fight. He rushed forward, grabbing on to Damon's invisible foe and hanging on for dear life. Working together, it didn't take the two of them very long to wrestle Mini Me to the ground and pin him there.

They hog tied him using Damon's belt, then stepped back to catch their breaths.

"Thanks for the assist." Damon panted.

Robin grinned, pushing his bangs back off his forehead. "No problem." He answered in M'Gann's voice. Straightening up, he added, "Though I'm still kind of curious why you wanted me to take the shape of Robin."

Damon gestured at Mini Me. "Before the team, Robin was the only one I ever told about my hearing a voice in my head. I figured if there was anyone my mind wouldn't hide him from, it would be Robin…" He shivered. "Hearing your voice come out of Robin's mouth is _really _unsettling. Would you mind changing back?"

Robin cocked his head. "Huh? Oh!"

In an instant, Robin's features and shape seemed to melt and reform into M'Gann's own familiar shape. Holding out her hand over the invisible form outlined in the mist, her eyes began to glow silver green. "Let's get a look at what we're after…"

Mini Me gave an angry cry, thrashing and kicking up the mist as he apparently fought M'Gann's control. At last he seemed to give in, and a dark form appeared in the mist billowing at their feet.

"Mind killing the mist?" M'Gann panted. Giving him a look, she added, "And why did you change your mind? I warned you it was dangerous!"

Damon smiled. "I didn't change my mind, this is imagination." He held his hand out in mimicry of M'Gann and waved the mist aside, shredding and dissipating it to reveal the figure it hid. His breath caught in his throat.

Mini Me looked nothing like what he had expected.

Mini Me glared up at them. "What are you looking at?"

* * *

You'll be happy to know that, due to my family's persistence, I've pretty much finished writing this. I'll post it as I can, but with fall term coming up I'm gonna need to start getting set up for college again. I'll get the chapters up as quickly as I can. Now I'm going to go hide before the mobs come after me for that cliffhanger...

Review! (even though I'm kind of scared...)

Until next time...


	21. To Win The War

(Fondly reminisces about the times when she could upload almost daily) Where on earth did those days go?

Shout outs to the uberly incredible: EveningRaven, Kmack13, SevenSilences, and RebornWhole! Kudos and cookies to you guys!

* * *

ENJOY!

* * *

Damon shook his head. "I don't know, I just… This isn't what I was expecting…"

Mini Me rolled his eyes. "What? What _were_ you expecting!" He yelled back.

Damon had no reply to that. The figure laying on the ground in front of him, bound with Damon's belt, was a kid.

Mini Me was a small child. He didn't appear to be much older than eight, though it was hard to tell, he had the sort of ambiguous features that made it completely possible to be either older or young than that.

But despite his youthful appearance, he had the voice of a teen or adult.

He had pale white skin, and dark green black hair, his form exactly like the mind he'd been born from. But where his predecessor's eyes were a beautiful blue grey, his cold eyes had brilliant flecks of gold in them.

Gold reminiscent of Damon's father's watery yellow eyes.

His clothing was generic, dressed in blue jeans and a t-shirt that said 'the voices in my head might not be real, but they have good ideas'. He was wearing a black jacket, and unlike Damon he was wearing shoes, a pair of black tennis shoes.

He was also a lot more vocal than Damon, M'Gann noted.

"What did you _think _I was going to look like?" Mini Me rephrased.

"I… I don't know what I was expecting." Damon answered, shocked.

"Apparently not me…" Mini Me answered. "…idiot…"

"Why?" Damon asked. "Why choose a childhood version of me?"

Mini Me rolled his eyes before glaring up at Damon. "I could've been anything. A man, a woman, a talking dog. I could've been _anything! _But no, you _had_ to name me Mini Me. The only choices I had were a Mini version of _you _or that dang female mouse! Call me crazy, but which do _you_ think I'm going to choose!"

Damon winced. "Well, when you put it that way…"

Mini Me grimaced and rolled over onto his back. He quickly struggled up into a sitting position and climbed to his feet, his hands still firmly bound behind his back. He gave a dramatic groan and shook his head. Looking to M'Gann he added, "Can you imagine _dying_ stuck in this form?"

M'Gann arched an eyebrow. "I can wear any form I choose." She answered calmly. "And the form doesn't matter, it's merely clothing for the mind inside."

Mini Me eyed the Martian girl. He cocked his head and grinned at Damon. "You know, she's not a half bad looking girl. At least when you picked my murderer you had the common decency to pick a hot chick! Even if she is a little mental…"

Damon put on a disgusted and or irritated look. "Uhg! A) she's already pretty much spoken for, as you well know. B) that'd be one _really _weird relationship since you don't have a _physical body_. C) your psychic form is the size of an eight year old. D) I can't believe I'm actually _explaining _all this. And _E_) it's not that I _want_ to murder you!" Damon yelled.

Mini Me gave him a look. "The dictionary definition of murder is 'to kill or slaughter', which is pretty much what you're doing. You got a better name for it?"

"Gah, I just… I want my mind back." He answered. "Of all people, you should know what it's like to live inside my head."

"Yeah, and _that's _a joy…" Mini Me muttered.

Damon was starting to get irritated. "If you'd stop at just the sarcastic comments I wouldn't care so much! But you _keep trying_ to take control! If you were meant to have a body, you would! But this one's mine! It's _my _body, _not _yours!"

Mini Me starred at him. "And…your point being, what?"

Damon sighed, rubbing his face tiredly. "My _point_, is that I wouldn't mind sharing office space in my head with you. But there's no way to _guarantee_ that you'll keep your little paws off the reins!"

"So, you're saying as long as I promise to stop trying to control you, you'll call off the bounty on my head?" Mini Me asked eagerly.

"Mini Me, is it?" M'Gann asked.

Mini Me smirked at her. "Mini Me it is." He agreed.

The Martian folded her arms over her chest, looking very much like Artemis when Wally was doing something stupid. "Mini Me, if you were in Damon's shoes, would _you_ trust you?"

Mini Me angrily opened his mouth to respond, then closed it again with a quiet click of teeth. "….point…" he grudgingly agreed.

"So what happens now?" Damon asked.

Mini Me snorted. "You and I _both _know what happens next." A touch of genuine sadness touched his face. "I'm a threat to your friends. You don't really have much of a choice….do you? If you're going to stay with the team, you have to get rid of me…"

Damon rubbed his face tiredly.

M'Gann gave him a speculative look. "So…you don't necessarily want to kill him, just keep him from taking over, right?"

Damon peeked between the slender white columns of his fingers, arching an eyebrow at her. "Yeah…?"

M'Gann smiled. "What if I could guarantee that?"

Both Damon and Mini Me cocked their heads, their faces twin expressions of interest. "We're listening…"

* * *

"So, why is it ok for you to make changes in my mind and not me?" Damon asked curiously.

M'Gann finished untying Mini Me and handed the leather belt back to Damon. "I said it was dangerous to change your mind _fast_. The change I'm going to make is going to be _very _small. It'll hurt for a second, but your mind won't go into panic mode. It should be enough to ensure Mini Me can't take control again."

Damon nodded. "Ok. What do we need to do?"

M'Gann held out her hand, lifting Damon and Mini Me up into the air. "We need to find where the control for your body is." She explained as they flew up and out of the trees. "Once I know what shape you've given it, I'll be able to get a better idea of how to lock it."

Mini Me folded his arms, reclining in the empty air and crossing his legs at the ankles. "Psh, is that all?" He pointed downstream to a set of low lying hills dotted with trees. "You'll find a mock up of his grandma's house hidden in those. The controls can go anywhere, but they're usually right outside that little house."

M'Gann and Damon starred at him.

The small boy shrugged, not overly perturbed. "What? I explore when I get bored. What else am I supposed to do when he sleeps? I probably know my way around the inside of his mind better than he does!"

Damon sighed. "Let's just get there…"

M'Gann nodded and put on a burst of speed. It didn't take her long to find the house Mini Me was talking about. "Oh Damon…" she murmured. "I can see why you miss it…"

The house was nothing fancy. Nothing fantastic.

In fact it was just the opposite. It was a generic two story farmhouse, painted a warm creamy white. Dark colored shingles covered the roof, and an old cast iron weather vane crowned it's highest peaks, creaking fitfully as the breeze turned it round. Beautifully woven baskets sat out on the porch, and a dream catcher could be seen hanging in one of the front windows.

The house was old, but obviously well cared for.

M'Gann landed them in the arid yard out front. Despite the dry setting, the owner had taken just as much care with the yard as they had with the house. Hardy flowers filled the beds out front, and peeped out of hanging baskets and flower boxes. Chickens fussed and clucked as they ambled about the yard, not overly worried about the newcomers. Across the yard stood an old wooden barn and a paddock that had seen better days, but like the rest of Damon's childhood home it had been well preserved.

M'Gann cocked an eyebrow at Mini Me. "Well?"

The pale little boy pointed at the barn. "In there more'n likely."

Damon was already making his way toward that barn. "Not in it." he corrected absentmindedly, eyes fixed on the dilapidated structure as some unnamed instinct urged him toward it. "Through it. What we want is on the other side." He swung the barn door open, slipping inside.

The old familiar scent of hay, herbs, and livestock filled his nose, and even without prior knowledge he would've been able to tell what all the barn housed. He could smell that the chickens had been in here, even though they had a roost of their own in the henhouse along the side of barn. Goats. A few sheep. A cow for milk. And underneath it all was the warm, earthy smell of horses. His grandmother had always kept horses, for as far back as he could remember.

But aside from the chickens out in the yard, there were no animals here today.

He made his way past the familiar stalls, ducking under the bundles of plants his grandmother hung from the various beams and crossbars to dry. The rustle of footsteps in the hay and the hushed sound of M'Gann's cape as she floated through the air assured him that they followed close behind. A small door at the back of the barn led out into the paddock beyond, and it was through this door that he lead them.

The paddock lead back between a pair of hills, disappearing into a grove of trees. It appeared to be empty. Only a couple of chickens that had slipped under the bars of the fence to get at the bugs that lived in the grass.

Mini Me folded his arms, cocking one hip out as he leveled a look at Damon. "So? Where is it smart guy?"

Damon grinned, arching an eyebrow. "Do you realize how much you look like a chick standing like that? Throw that hip out much further, and you'll pop it out of it's socket!"

Mini Me's eyes narrowed, but it gratified Damon to note that he very subtly began shifting his weight back. Not so much that it was readily noticeable to the casual glance, but enough that Damon could tell. "So? Where is it?" Mini Me grumbled, repeating his question.

M'Gann pointed past them both. "You can both stop picking at each other, here it comes now."

Both boys whirled to look.

Hoof beats thundered on the arid ground, as the means of controlling Damon's body approached them at top speed. Not surprisingly, it was a horse. It was a deep, dark chocolate colored animal, with patches of white patterning it's coat. A long black main and tail flowed behind it, and wild, intelligent blue eyes gazed at them from a pale piebald face.

Aside from feathers braided into the mane, the horse wasn't wearing any harness.

The animal came to a sliding stop in front of them, kicking up a cloud of dust as it did. It gave a wild, happy whinny at the sight of Damon, proudly arching it's neck and holding it's tail high as it trotted the last few steps to him. He held out his hand, and the piebald was quick to drop it's muzzle into his palm.

M'Gann giggled. "I see what you meant about keeping Mini Me's hands off the reins! She's beautiful Damon!"

Mini Me bent over at the waist, peering underneath the horse's belly. "Sorry chickie, this'n doesn't have the right equipment to be a girl." He straightened up, grinning at M'Gann's embarrassed look. "And don't get too close, he's a mean old cuss. If I had a physical body, I'd still have bruises and bite marks from the last time I tangled with him!"

The horse gave a snort, tossing his head as if he'd understood what Mini Me had said.

The pale child glared at him. "That mutt's not the only reason I don't take control very often. This flea bitten nag doesn't want me on his back anymore than Damon does. If I wanna ride, I've got one heck of a fight on my hands." He turned the glare on Damon, though there was almost a look of respect behind his gaze. "I'll give you this much though..." he added. "You sure dreamed up one world class sun fisher."

Damon chuckled. "He should be, he looks like a horse Mamaw owns. Tame as a lamb to people he trusts, but I dare anyone to get up on his back without his permission. Show him the fool who'll try _that_ and he'll show you the meaning of the words _whirling dervish_!" He looked to M'Gann. "So what now?"

"Will he let me touch him?" M'Gann asked.

"As long you don't try to climb aboard, yeah."

The Martian girl moved closer. "Alright." She carefully cradled the animal's head, stroking his soft white muzzle. "Easy boy." She whispered. "This won't hurt a bit…" Her eyes glowed silver green and she seemed lost to the world.

Damon winced, hand flying to his temple. It was like someone had taken a minor headache, focused it into a thin little spike, and pushed it into his temple. The pain wasn't excruciating, but it was more than enough for him to sit up and take notice. On the other side of the horse, Mini Me mimicked the gesture.

Then it was gone.

M'Gann's eyes returned to normal and she stepped away. "That should do it." she said breathlessly. "Damon's the only one who can ride him now. And Mini Me?" the pale boy turned to face her. M'Gann put her hands on her hips. "Damon's giving you a chance to live, don't blow it. As tempting as riding that horse is, the next time you climb on his back will be the end of you."

Mini Me blanched and nodded. " 'K…" he suddenly grinned. "Hey do me a favor ok?"

M'Gann cocked her head. "Like what?"

The pale child smiled and winked at the Martian girl. "Come visit me sometime ok? It get's boring in here with nothing to do and only the idiot for company…"

* * *

"Gah, how much longer will she be in there?" Wally exclaimed, tipping the chair back on two legs. They were all gathered in one of the empty bedrooms. Conner had laid Damon out on the bed, with M'Gann still levitating nearby.

Artemis, who was sitting on the end of the bed near Damon's feet, got a mischievous look on her face. Pretending to stretch, she reached out and lightly toed one of the air born legs of Wally's chair. The speedsters chair immediately overbalanced, dumping the redhead out on the floor.

The teens were surprised to hear M'Gann and Damon's laughter ring out to join theirs.

Stretched out full length on the floor, chin propped in his hands, Wally sighed and rolled his eyes. "You would come out of it just in time to see that…!" he grumbled good naturedly.

"We would." Coyote agreed.

Kaldur cocked his head, pinning M'Gann and Damon with his eyes. "And the objective of all this?"

Damon laughed and nodded. "Mini Me's still there, but M'Gann fixed it so he can't take over again." He grinned, fondling Naomi's ears fondly as she climbed as far up into his lap as a massive hyena could manage. "I'm fully in charge of my own mind again."

**_You realize that I can still talk right?_**

Damon rolled his eyes a little at that. **_I'm aware that you can still talk at me, yes. _**

**_ So… now that they all know, are you still gonna yell at me to be quiet when the Martians are around?" _**Mini Me asked.

The Indian teen smirked. **_So long as it's M'Gann and not her uncle, Min, I really don't mind. _**

**_ Min?_**

**_ You want me to go back to calling you Mini? _**

**_ ….You do and I'll give you an aneurism. _**

Robin suddenly cackled. "Hey guys, any of you up for a lil' field trip?"

The team eyed their little bird. There was something about the way he was cackling, and the way he said the words 'field trip' that said he wasn't planning a trip to the park. But it also promised that this would be interesting, and more than likely fun.

If it involved the dark knight in any way it would probably scar the crap out of all of them.

Wally laughed. "Dude, you had me at the laugh…!"

* * *

(hopes to have placated their anger with a new chapter)...so...no hard feelings right?

Review! And next chapter will see the entirety of our mischievous little Robin's 'field trip'...

Until next time...


	22. Road Trip

And...here we go!

Shout outs to the fantabulous: Kmack13, Evening Raven, Seven Silences, and Guest! Cookies to you! (...no more bat glares please...)

* * *

ENJOY!

* * *

"You want to go where?"

Robin laughed, gazing down at the stunned Indian boy from the top of the bio ship's ramp. "What do we have to be afraid of?" he asked, grinning. "Joker and Harley are in jail, and it'd be wrong _not _to do it!"

Damon just stared, completely floored by the young bird's audacity.

Robin had refused to divulge his scheme until his teammates were all in costume and standing at the foot of the bio ship's ramp. After a quick spell from Zatanna to clean and mend his uniform, Damon was quick to join them as Coyote, though Robin had made the cryptic request that Damon forego the hair dye and skin stains. Once all were gathered, including Naomi and Wolf, Robin had revealed his grand master plan.

They were going to take Damon home to Arizona to see his grandma.

Damon shook his head. "Robin… I can't. Everyone thinks I'm _dead_! Do you know what that would _do_ to my mamaw? I mean, she's always had a strong heart, but I think even _she_ might have a heart attack with this!"

"I'm not saying it couldn't." Robin agreed solemnly. "But at the same time, I know what it's like to lose someone important to you. To lose your whole world in one fell swoop."

The bird was in deathly earnest, and the team found themselves wondering who it was he had lost.

With the exception of Wally, who knew the truth, most of the team was of the opinion that Robin was legitly the son of the Dark Knight. Perhaps he'd lost his mother? Perhaps he'd been living with her until something happened, and he'd gone to live with Batman and eventually joined his crusade against crime? Who knew?

Robin came back down the ramp till he was face to face with Damon. He had to look up at the taller boy, but that didn't lessen the impact of his words in the slightest. "If I had the choice of finding out they were alive, of being reunited and having a heart attack - or going the rest of my life without knowing, being separated from them and knowing nothing about their life after I lost them…" He shook his head, chin sticking out stubbornly. "Well, let's just say I'd take my chances with the heart attack every time."

Damon chewed his lip, uncertain. He'd be lying if he denied that seeing his grandmother again would be a dream come true for him.

Robin gripped his arm reassuringly. "Hey. In the end it's always your choice Damon. But… I really think you should let her know. Go see her, call her on the phone… if nothing else write her a letter. But don't let her go the rest of her life thinking you're dead. That's just _beyond_ cruel."

Damon sighed. Inside, he found himself doing something he very rarely did with any sincerity. He looked to Mini Me for advice. **_Well? What do you think? _**

Now that he knew what Mini Me looked like, he could practically picture the look on the pale eight year old's face as he folded his arms across his chest and rolled his eyes. **_You know you're going to be miserable if you don't, now that the bird's put the idea out there. You'll mope and pine for your family and friends and…_**

He actually laughed aloud at that. **_Ok, ok, I get the picture! _**

**_I really doubt you do, but it's a start. _**Mini Me snorted. **_I suppose you're going to want to let the Tweedle-Dum and Tweedle-Dee of cops in on the caper now as well? _**

Damon chuckled despite himself. "I might at that." He murmured aloud. Looking up at his friends, he smiled and tapped a finger against his temple. "Chatting with the little voice in my head."

"Dude, if anyone else had said that we'd be booking them into the funny farm!" Wally laughed.

Damon chuckled and nodded. His hand seemed to find Naomi's ear by instinct, scratching and fondling it and making the animal give off a happy groan as she leaned into his affections. "I suppose you're right." He agreed. He met Robin's masked eyes. "_Both _of you. I _am_ slightly insane, and I _should _go see Mamaw. I've done about as much as I'm ready to do about the first one, but if you'd give me a lift, I'd like to see what I can do about the second one."

M'Gann gave a gleeful squeal and leapt into the air, darting up the ramp into the bio ship to land in her seat. "Let's go then! I'd really like to meet Damon's grandma and…" she faltered as she realized she was assuming things. "That is, if it's alright with him…"

Damon laughed, settling into his seat and buckling Naomi's straps as they materialized up out of the floor and the side of his seat. "I'd be proud to introduce her to you all. But I think we should break it to her gently…"

* * *

_Recognize. Batman. Zero. Two. Flash. Zero. Four. _

The two stepped out of the zeta tubes. Not surprisingly, Flash made no secret of why he was there. He darted out to the center of the room and yelled, "Wally? Come on Wall's, we should've been home an hour ago! We're gonna be late for dinner!"

There was no response.

The dark knight ignored the speedster, silently stalking over to the holo-mat and bringing up a keyboard and monitor. Flash zipped to a stop next to him a few minutes later.

"I just searched the whole mountain and…" Barry began.

"They're not here." The dark knight answered.

Barry stopped. "Yeah… How'd you know that?"

Batman's eyes narrowed. "The bio ship left four hours ago."

Barry starred at him. "It what?" Seeing the dark knight's glare he hurriedly backtracked. "I mean, I know what you said but… Batman, where the heck are our kids?"

* * *

"So what does he talk about?"

Damon frowned, looking up from Naomi. They'd been in the ship for a little over a half an hour. The pale Indian boy smiled. Half an hour could seem like three hours when one was dealing with a speedster.

Wally was most definitely bored.

**_With a brain that small, it's a wonder he doesn't suffocate himself. _**Mini Me remarked snidely.

Damon shook his head. "I'm sorry Wally, what now?" he asked.

Wally grinned. "He's chattering away at you again isn't he?"

Damon made a face and nodded. "As per usual."

It hadn't taken the team long to adjust to the idea of Damon sharing office space in his head with a fragmented corner of his psyche, one that had taken on a life of his own. In fact they had all expressed some curiosity about it, though he got the impression they didn't ask much for fear of prying.

Wally swiveled his chair around to face Damon, expression one of keen interest. "That's kind of what I was asking about. What does he talk about?"

Damon chuckled. Of all his team mates, the red headed speedster had been more openly curious than the rest. "Anything and everything. He has some sort of rude, snide, or sarcastic comment for every occasion." He cast a glance at Robin. "When I first told Robin, he asked much the same question. I asked Min if he had anything to say to the boy wonder and, well…" he flushed. "…let's just say the message didn't get passed along. I was _not_ going to be the one repeating _that _out loud!"

Artemis had turned around in her seat to listen and now folded her arms. "Dirty mouth?" she asked, arching an eyebrow.

Damon could almost picture Mini Me doing 'shifty eyes'…**_.maybe…_**

Damon shook his head. "Not really, no. Just…. Caustic." He made a face. "I get the impression that he's, at least partially, the part of my brain that does all the negative. He's rude, downright mean sometimes, and a pessimist."

Mini Me snorted. …**_Love you to!_**

"So he's always the first one to throw in the towel?" Artemis asked.

Damon laughed. "More like the first one to scream 'We're gonna die!' like a little school girl."

**_I do not scream like a girl! _**Mini Me howled.

Damon winced, touching a hand to his temple. "….ow… Nothing like having someone yell at the top of their lungs _inside_ your head…"

Zatanna unbuckled and moved over to crouch next to Naomi. She lightly pressed her fingers to his temple, a look of concentration on her face.

"I thought M'Gann was the telepath." He teased.

She didn't answer him. Her eyes narrowed. "Echadaeh sih eveiler." She ordered firmly. In an instant, the ache behind Damon's temples completely disappeared. She pulled her hand away, looking a little self conscious now that she'd cast her spell. "Better?"

Damon nodded, surprised. "Yeah actually…"

**_That witch knocked me flat on my back!_**

He smiled. "You gave Mini Me a bit of a start but yeah, that's a _lot_ better, thanks."

Zatanna nodded. "It's something I used to do for my dad. He…" She trailed off and abruptly stood and returned to her seat. Looking back to the Martian she asked, "How long till we get there M'Gann?"

The Martian girl shook her head. "Another half an hour, an hour at the most." She answered. She sounded bored too.

Zatanna nodded and grabbed a small black backpack up off of the floor by her chair. Her teammates had been eyeing it curiously ever since she'd carried it on board. The last time someone had brought a bag on a 'mission' Kaldur had ended up putting on the helmet of Fate. "Ok then." She answered, digging into it. "It's time for some road trip distractions."

Robin leaned over from his own seat with interest. "What d'you got?" he asked curiously.

**_Ever the detective…_** Mini Me noted.

Zatanna grinned, holding up a notebook sized object and a pencil. "Mad Libs!" she laughed. "You guys are gonna love these!"

Conner frowned. "What's a mad lib?" he asked, flushing a little at his own ignorance. The others clearly knew what it was Zatanna was talking about, he was the only one out of the loop. Yet another thing the genomorphs hadn't covered. Then he noticed Kaldur's confused look. Then again maybe he wasn't the only one…

"It's a sort of storytelling game." Wally laughed. "There's several stories in there, each a page long, with words strategically blanked out. You fill in the blanks with your own words, then someone reads the story aloud."

Both clone and Atlantian nodded. That didn't sound like a hard game.

Wally twirled in his chair, grinning from ear to ear. "Which one do you have Zatanna?" he called.

Zatanna had been flipping through the pages. Marking her spot with her thumb, she flipped it shut for a moment to read the cover. "Um… 'Off The Wall' mad libs."

Now Wally really looked interested. "Hm, don't think I've seen that one. This should be fun!"

Zatanna suddenly laughed. "Got it! This one'll be great!" she turned on her first victim. "Wally! Name of a school."

The red head thought for a second, then grinned. "Does it specify what kind of school?" the magician shook her head. "Then let's go with Oxford University."

Zatanna nodded, scribbling down his answer. Then she looked to her next victim. "Kaldur, I need an adjective from you."

The Atlantian cocked his head. While he spoke English well enough, it wasn't his first language. He could write it, but he'd never been taught the various pieces of speech and all the nuances of grammar. He usually went with what sounded right. "A what?"

"A describing word." Artemis explained. "Stuff like lumpy, soft, or short. Anything like that."

The Atlantian nodded his thanks, then looked back to Zatanna. "How are we to know which word is correct?"

M'Gann giggled. "That's the fun part! You don't want words that make sense!"

Their leader thought about this for the moment. "So, the appeal of the 'mad libs' is the incongruity of the words?" he checked. His friends nodded. He put a little more thought into it, then answered, "Slimy."

Zatanna raised her eyebrows a little at his choice of words, but dutifully wrote it down. "M'Gann. Plural noun."

"Kittens." The Martian answered without hesitation.

Zatanna nodded. "Conner, pick the name of someone in the room."

Not surprisingly, the clone's prompt answer was "M'Gann".

Zatanna turned to her most recent teammate. "Damon, I need…"

The Indian boy held up a finger, silently asking her to wait. "Just a sec." He thoughtfully stroked Naomi's head, eyes settled on the floor. **_Do you want to play Min? _**He said within his thoughts. For a moment, there was complete and utter silence within his mind. He could've sworn that he would've heard a pin drop. **_Do you wanna play? _**He silently repeated.

Mini Me finally seemed to find his voice. **_…are you serious?_**

Damon nodded, a small smile touching his lips. **_Absolutely. _**

Again, silence fell for a few moments inside his mind. **_Ok, what the heck is going on? First, you've been threatening to kill me for ages and then you turn around and save me. Now you're inviting me to play a game with you and your friends? What's your angle?_**

**_No angle. _**Damon answered.

**_You know I don't buy that for a second. _**Mini Me answered, an almost venomous edge to his voice. **_Everyone has an angle. _**

**_Well that's cynical..._**Damon sighed, tiredly rubbing his eyes. He was vaguely aware that his friends were watching him with curiosity and concern, but they maintained a respectful silence. **_Fine. You wanna know the truth? _**

**_Please. _**

**_The truth is you're a part of me Min! _**Damon shouted irritably at the errant corner of his mind. If he'd been paying attention he would've seen M'Gann jump at the sudden 'loudness' of his thoughts. But he wasn't paying attention. He was focused solely on the voice in his head.

**_You're a part of me. _**He repeated. **_As surely as my parents are. And it's time I started acknowledging that. My persona of 'Coyote the Trickster' is a nod to my heritage, but it also acknowledges my parents careers as clowns. As far as I'm concerned you're a person in and of yourself. You have your own personality, likes, and dislikes. _**He smiled a little. **_I'd like to hope that someday we could consider ourselves friends. But in the meantime, I'd at least like to bury the hatchet. _**

Mini Me snorted. **_That'd probably be the weirdest relationship in the history of mankind. _**He seemed to think it over carefully. **_So… Truce? _**

**_Truce. _**Damon agreed. **_…so, do you wanna play? _**

Mini Me chuckled. **_Yes _****please! **

Damon finally looked to the others. They were all watching him, anxious for their friend. "I'm alright." He reassured them. Flushing a little in embarrassment, he posed his question. "Would… Would it be alright if Min played? M'Gann could establish a psychic link so you all can hear him…"

The teens looked at each other, matching smiles sprouting on their faces.

**_Link established. _**M'Gann thought into their minds.

Zatanna smiled. "Alright, we'll just slip Min in, then we'll finish going around. Min? We need a part of the body."

Damon winced. **_If you say what I think you're going to say, you and I are going to have words. _**He thought at Mini Me. None of the team seemed to have heard, which wasn't entirely a surprise. Mini Me was in his mind, so it was like he had his own private com link.

**_Party pooper…_** Mini Me muttered. Over the psychic link he added, **_Femur bone. _**

Zatann scribbled it down. "Ok, Damon, article of clothing."

Having played the game before, the Indian boy went for something he felt sure wouldn't fit. And if it did fit he'd eat his boot. "A tu-tu." Hearing Wally snicker off to one side, he smirked. This was going to be fun indeed.

And so it went.

From Artemis they got "CD's". From Robin they got "Beach chair". Zatanna took her turn with "Zebra", prompting some teasing from her friends. Then they started the cycle again, adding the words "Fan-freaking-tastic", and "ridiculous" to the mix.

The last word fell to M'Gann.

"Ok, last word." Zatanna announced. "M'Gann's turn. M'Gann, I need a plural noun from you."

The Martian girl was silent for a long moment, then giggled and looked to Robin. "Robin, what was that word you used yesterday? You mentioned school, and I asked you what the kids at your school were like. What was that word you used to describe them?"

Robin cackled. "Nimrods. A lot of them are total nimrods."

"Ok, nimrods it is then." Zatanna jotted down the last word, then grinned at her teammates. "Ready to hear the story you guys co-wrote?"

Wally leaned back in his chair and folded his arms behind his head. "Lay it on us Zatanna."

The magician smirked. "The title is 'Report by Student Protest Committee'." Groans and laughter were emitted from her teammates as they thought back on the words they had chosen. She waited for those to die off, then she began to read.

"Fellow students of Oxford University!" she read. "We members of the Students for a Slimy Society are meeting here to decide what action to take about the Dean of Kittens. He has just fired our friend, Professor M'Gann, because he wore his femur bone long, and because he dressed in a tu-tu and wore old CD's."

She paused a moment to let her friends laughter die down a little, then went on.

"Next week we are going to protest by taking over the beach chair building and kidnapping the Assistant Zebra. We also will demand that all students have the right to wear fan-freaking-tastic hair and ridiculous beards. Remember our slogan: 'Down with nimrods.'"

Her teammates dissolved into laughter again.

**_You know, that 'tu-tu' actually kind of fit…_** Mini Me hinted with a laugh.

Damon rolled his eyes. **_M'Gann's 'nimrod' actually fit pretty well too._**

Mini Me laughed. **_I'm gonna have to remember that one. I've been calling you idiot and moron so long, it'd be good to throw some flavor in there. _**

Damon laughed and gave Naomi a good scratch behind the ears. **_You're too kind…_**

Zatanna held up the pad of mad libs and the pencil. "Ok, who wants to be the reader next…?"

* * *

lol, I called my brother a nimrod, then realized it was a synonym for idiot and or moron...

Review!

Until next time...


	23. Mammaw

Ok guys, here goes 23!

Shout outs to the splendiferous: Evening Raven, RebornWhole, Molly Grace 16, Kmack13, and Seven Silences! You guys make me feel so asterous I'm bringing my mom's four chip giant chololate chip cookies to reward you guys today! (::)

* * *

ENJOY!

* * *

"Nice house." Wally commented.

Damon frowned, pulling his eyes away from the familiar two story farmhouse below them. "What? What's wrong with it?"

"Nothing!" Wally hurriedly clarified. "It's a nice house."

**_Smooth move genius. _**Mini Me teased over the psychic link.

Damon winced. "Sorry Wally." He shook his head and looked back out the window of the bio ship at his childhood home. Unbidden, the smell of blood and sage came back from his memories to haunt him again, as potent as ever, and he flinched.

Naomi whimpered, drawing the others attention as she nuzzled into her friend.

"You ok?" Robin asked.

Damon nodded. "Bad memories." He answered. "My leaving here was a very bloody affair… It feels as though ages have passed since I was last here." He froze as his memory of that night seemed to be roughly pushed aside. "Min?"

**_Darn book jumped off the shelf again. _**Mini Me grumbled in answer. **_I swear there's a Mexican jumping bean in there somewhere. _**

Not fully understanding, but sensing a nerve, Wally quickly changed the subject. "Well? It's been, what? Two years since you were here last?" the Indian boy nodded, and Wally gestured at the farmyard below them. "You sure she still lives here?"

Robin nodded. "All state and government records agree, Leosani Cliffrunner lives at this address. Has been for the last sixty years."

Damon chuckled. "She'll be there. Great Grandpa built that house for her when they got married. She raised two kids there, and one great grandchild. She'll never give it up. Short of the necessaries like church, groceries, friendship, and health she rarely leaves the property. Said she always wanted to be where her family could find her when they needed her…" He trailed off as that last bit sank in.

Robin smiled, slipping out of the seatbelts. "How do you wanna handle this?"

Damon chewed his lip thoughtfully. "I wanna break this to her gently." He said slowly. "Like I said, she's always been strong, but at the same time she's well into her _nineties…_"

"So you just walking up and saying 'Hey grams, it's me. I didn't die in that explosion two years ago!' is out of the question." Artemis commented dryly.

"Is that rhetorical?" Wally teased. The blonde archer calmly launched a rubber band at him, pin point aim ensuring that it snapped the red headed speedster right across the end of his nose. "Ouch! Rob, Artemis shot me with a rubber band!" Wally whined, grinning from ear to ear.

"Grow up Baywatch."

Kaldur sighed, resting his forehead in his hand.

"Feel like the dad on a family vacation yet?" Robin teased.

Wally opened his mouth to say something else but Mini Me cut him off. **_Don't make me come over there and separate you two! _**He yelled, silencing the pair of them.

There were several beats of quiet, then the team burst into laughter at the sheer absurdity of the idea. It took them several minutes to get themselves back under control.

"So…should we send someone ahead to talk to her?" Zatanna asked.

Kaldur nodded. "That would be the wisest course of action."

"But she doesn't know any of us." Conner pointed out. "Why should she believe we are who we say we are? Much less what we're telling her about her supposedly dead great grandkid?"

Damon winced. "That's true." He agreed. "Mamaw has always been a suspicious sort when it came to strangers. She'll be a hard one to convince."

"What about Wally?" M'Gann suggested.

Kaldur gave a thoughtful nod. "The suggestion has merit. As Kid Flash, Wally has led a more public career as a hero than the rest of us have. Amongst all of us, he is the one she would most likely recognize, either from photos or the television."

"Actually… she sort of knows me…"

All eyes turned to the boy wonder. He flushed a little. "Batman gave her a number to call if she needed to get a hold of him, in case the Joker went after her or something like that. She only ever used it once."

Damon starred at him. "You didn't tell me that… What did she say?"

Robin winced. "It was after Commissioner Gordon told her you died. She called us. She was hurt, and angry. She thought she was talking to Batman, and I'm kind of glad I picked up the phone, she really would've torn a chunk out of him. As it is, it was a good four or five minutes before I could get in enough of a word edgewise to make her understand I was Robin, not Batman." He shrugged. "We've never met, but she might remember my voice."

The others nodded.

"M'Gann." Kaldur stated grimly. "Lower the bio ship to within a few feet of the ground, and keep her camouflaged. If the Joker is keeping Mrs. Cliffrunner under surveillance, we do not wish to blatantly give ourselves away."

**_Yep, cause the boy wonder just up and appearing out of nowhere isn't blatant at all… _**Mini Me answered dryly.

The Martian quickly did as she was told, lowering the bio ship to within five feet of the ground and opening a hatch in the floor for the boy wonder to drop through. Robin crouched by the hatch, preparing to jump through.

"Any last words of advice for me?" he asked.

Damon snorted. "Leave a will?"

Robin gave him an exasperated look. "Gee, thanks for the vote of confidence…"

He dropped through the hole in the floor and landed in a crouch. Confidant that the bio ship would camouflage any view of him from above while he was under it, he took a moment to acquaint himself with his surroundings.

He rose after a moment and calmly made his way towards the house. He'd just set his foot on the first step leading up to the porch when a low rumbling growl began to emanate from underneath the porch steps. At the same time, Damon's frantic voice suddenly came across the psychic link.

**_I forgot about the dogs!_**

Robin back flipped off the front step, hand springing back several feet as a truly massive coal black dog came barreling out from under the porch.

**_Yeah, I kind of got the memo_**. He thought back. He shook his head, watching as the dog stalked across the yard after him, snarling and snapping. **_Man, that's a big dog! What is your grandma feeding it? _**

**_I don't know. She…._**

Mini Me suddenly jumped in. **_She's feeding them miracle grow, now move before the other takes a bite out of your tail feathers!_**

**_What? _**Robin whipped around, eyes wide with shock. He dove to one side, barely avoiding the lunge of a second dog, this one covered in thick grey, brown, and white fur. "How many dogs are there?" he yelled aloud. Despite the fact that he was outside the bio ship, his friends didn't have much difficulty hearing him.

**_There appear to be three. _**Kaldur thought back grimly. **_The third is preventing us from leaving the ship. M'Gann is opening another hatch. _**

Damon's voice cut into his thoughts. **_Hold out a little longer Robin, I know these dogs. Mamaw must've got them from the Two-Wolves after I was taken to Gotham. It's been two years but they should remember me. _**

A heavy weight hit Robin from behind, and he found himself pinned flat on his stomach by the black dog. **_Yeah? Well they better remember you _****real ****_soon! _**

A strong jerk caused his cape to tighten round his throat, and a tearing sound came to his ears.

The boy wonder rolled, trying to kick the dog off. Two feet pushing off against the rib cage was more than enough to give him some much desired space. Unfortunately, the other was ready and waiting, moving in to latch onto the boy wonder's left arm.

"That's it boys, hold him!"

Robin turned his head. His eyes landed on a slender woman standing on the porch, a shotgun in her hands. Long silver white hair was pulled back into an impressively long thick braid that hung over one shoulder. She leveled the shotgun at him, dark eyes daring him to make a move.

"I don't know who you are," she growled. "but from your outlandish clothing, I'll bet you're affiliated with my granddaughter and her jackal of a husband. You make one move, and I'll blow your head off. Provided the dogs don't tear you apart first…"

Robin stared at her. "Mrs. Cliffrunner, I just…"

**_Now he's screwed, he called her Mrs. Cliffrunner! _**Mini Me cackled.

The elderly woman thumbed the hammer back on the shotgun. "I said not to move."

"Shadow. Brand. Get off him."

Both dogs froze, ears pricking. After a seconds hesitation, the two let go and stepped away from the boy wonder. They didn't go far, keeping their eyes fixed on him.

Robin breathed a sigh of relief, letting his head fall back against the ground for a moment before gingerly rolling to his feet. He kept one eye on the old woman with the shotgun, but thankfully she seemed too shocked that her dogs had obeyed a stranger to deal with him.

Damon was standing in front of the open hatch of the bio ship, his Coyote costume fully in place. Standing by his side was a third dog, this one a pale dusty tan. On his other side stood Naomi.

"Brand. Shadow. Here boys." He ordered, and it was with a start that Robin realized Damon's voice wasn't disguised, despite the fact that he was wearing the choker. He must've had some way of turning it off. The two dogs approached Coyote cautiously, their feathered tails wagging slowly, then with more force as they caught his scent. They did indeed remember him, and they remembered him kindly.

**_Great. _**Mini Me grumbled. **_More mutts that love you. The next thing I know you'll have your very own wolf pack following you around._**

Robin glanced back at the old woman. Maybe it wasn't the unexpected obedience of her dogs that had shocked her.

"…JJ…"

Yeah, definitely not the dogs' obedience issues.

Coyote froze. The elderly woman slowly descended the steps, carefully thumbing the hammer of the shotgun back into place and setting the gun down on the porch.

"JJ?" She repeated. She seemed in a daze as she slowly made her way across the farmyard. Absolutely no heed was paid to Robin as the ninety year old woman moved past him to get to the child she had raised.

Coyote didn't move. To his friends, it almost looked as though he were bracing himself. His hand strayed to the leather choker round his throat, fingering it. But after a moment he let it fall, his shoulders drooping.

Leosani Cliffrunner's eyes narrowed. "Look me in the eye young man." Coyote's shoulders suddenly straightened and he lifted his head to meet her eyes, determined blue grey meeting intense dark brown.

Mini Me snickered. **_Young man? Oh boy, _****now****_ you're in for it!_**

The Indian boy flushed, a slight smile touching his lips."Would you mind if we moved this inside?" he asked softly. "If you _are_ being watched by Joker's lackeys, we've made quite a scene as it is."

The woman lost her stunned expression in an instant. Sharp eyes scoured the yard. "If that rapscallion thinks he can…" she shook her head, fire in her gaze. "Go on, get your tail inside. You and I are going to have a talk."

Coyote gave a soft chuckle. "I wouldn't expect anything less after what I did." To the others he added. "Come on inside. Miss M' if you'll shut the bio ship?"

His grandmother snorted, leading the team toward the house. "What ship? And don't you worry about closing that thing up, no one'll mess with it as long as the dogs are out in the yard."

"It's no trouble." M'Gann answered. Her eyes glowed silver green for a moment as she sent instructions back to her ship. Within seconds, both openings in the bio ship had closed seamlessly, leaving no sign that the ship was even there.

"You ok, Rob?" Wally asked anxiously.

Robin nodded. "Arm's a little sore, but I'll be ok."

"Glad to hear it." Wally caught hold of the boy wonder's cape, pulling it around so the others could see as they climbed the porch steps. "It kind of looks like your wardrobe took a pounding though…"

Robin winced at the sight of the tears in his cape. "Agent A is going to love that."

Leosani closed the door behind them, twitching the curtains closed over the window. Then she turned her eyes on the great grandchild to which she had devoted fifteen years of her life to raise. The lift of one eyebrow was question enough.

Coyote sighed. Reaching up, he pushed his mask back and off his head. The mask fell back to hang between his shoulder blades, like the hood of a cape. The choker showed itself now to have a double purpose, as it apparently kept the coyote pelt from falling off. He flushed under her gaze, seeming to feel embarrassed by his white skin and green hair.

Naomi pressed against him, as if to offer moral support.

"Do you know what you did?" Leosani hissed. "Do you _know_ what you did? To me? To your friends?" She was trembling with anger. With hurt. "It's been almost two years. Almost two years since that house blew up in Gotham. Two years of everyone thinking you're dead. Me. The Two-Wolves. Our friends. The church. _Everyone._"

Damon nodded. "I know." He answered.

He could just see the wince on Mini Me's face. **_Yeah, 'I know'…totally the wrong answer. Especially when you're talking to a ninety-something year old woman who's hurt, angry, and carrying a shotgun._**

She starred at him. "You know?" she repeated, seeming to prove Mini Me's statement. "You know what it is to go _two years_ thinking…?" tears welled in her eyes. "…thinking you were dead?"

"Should we wait outside?" Artemis asked.

Damon shook his head. "No. No, please stay."

**_Ooh yes, please stay! This scene just wouldn't have the same feel without the touch of public humiliation a pack of friends watching the awkward family moment gives it._**

**_Is it always like this? _**Wally asked.

Damon cast an amused look the speedsters way. **_Now you know what it is to live in my brain._** He thought back.

He looked back to Leosani, jaw firm. "I don't know what the past two years were to you." He stated calmly. "I can only guess at that. One thing I _do_ know though, is what it is to live on the streets of Gotham City for a year and a half to protect my friends, and the only member of my family who has ever given more than a passing thought to me, let alone care. I know what it is to let those people think I'm dead for two years, rather than risk the Joker taking his revenge on them to get to me. So long as I'm dead, ostensibly by his own hand, his revenge has been taken. They're free to live their lives."

**_Oh yeah, free from everything except: the sorrow at your passing, the guilt that maybe they could've done something, anger at the guy who killed you, plus all of life's other little problems! _**Mini Me commented dryly.

Damon sighed and shook his head. "I know… I know that I can never make up for those two years that I was gone. All I can do is say I'm sorry."

The tears continued to fall down the old woman's face, but the faintest traces of a smile crept forth. She quietly held out her arms to him. A gesture that said it all. Damon didn't hesitate. It took him less than the blink of an eye to take the few steps needed to place him within the circle of her arms. As the two laughed and cried, there was no doubt in the minds of the team that he was forgiven.

Leosani cupped her great grandchild's face. "JJ…"

Damon laughed, catching her wrists. "It's ok, Mamaw." He reassured. "These friends have proven themselves true time and again. I would have died a long time ago if it weren't for them." He pressed a kiss to her forehead. "I keep no secrets from them. We needn't hide from them."

She laughed through her tears, throwing her arms around him again. "Damon…!"

Eventually, they regained themselves.

"Damon, where on earth are our manners?" Leosani scolded. "We've guests standing here in the entry way, and you haven't even told me their names. Much less given us a proper introduction!" She bustled past him, shooing the teens out of the way. "Let me run on ahead and make sure all the curtains are drawn. I doubt anyone could get close with the dogs out there, but better safe than sorry."

She disappeared into the depths of the house. It took her several minutes to close all the curtains, but she finally called them in. The living room they entered was comfortable. Decorated in a loose western motif leaning distinctly towards the Indian side rather than the cowboys, it was clear which side she identified more with.

Blankets were draped across the furniture and folded in neat stacks at the ends of the couches, and woven baskets were set here and there. An open book on the coffee table showed that they'd interrupted her reading. She ushered them into seats, sending Damon to fetch stools from a closet in the hall.

"Now." She said, once all were seated. "Introduce me to these friends of yours Damon."

**_Oh yes Damon, please do! _**Mini Me teased.

Damon laughed. Leosani certainly hadn't changed in the two years he'd been away. "Mamaw, I'd like you to meet the team. Each is a protégé of one of the Justice League's heroes."

He pointed to each one as he named them, careful to identify them by their code name and the hero to which they were apprenticed. "That's our leader, Aqualad, apprentice to Aquaman. And this is Superboy, son of Superman." He neglected to mention who else had fathered the dark haired clone.

"The archer over there is Artemis, protégé to Green Arrow, and Miss Martian here is the Martian Manhunter's niece. Zatanna is the daughter of Zatarra, now Dr. Fate. The one in the yellow suit and cocky smirk is Kid Flash, protégé to the Flash. And Robin is the son of the Batman. I understand you two had a talk on the telephone?"

Robin gave Damon a look. What was he bringing that up for? But he remained quiet and held his peace at the sight of the amused smile on Damon's face.

Leosani caught Robin's look. "Don't go shooting looks at him, he's right, I do owe you an apology. You and your father did everything you could to keep my Damon alive and safe, and I had no right to vent my feeling on you when I thought Damon had gotten himself killed."

Robin smiled. "It's alright ma'am. Believe me, you're nowhere near the worst of what I've had to deal with."

Leosani nodded. "So," she asked, looking to Damon, "if each member of the team is the apprentice of a hero, and you are a part of this team, who is your mentor?"

Damon shook his head. "No one."

"What?"

**_None. Zilch. Nada. No one. What part of that didn't you understand? _**Mini Me asked, making Damon exceptionally glad his grandmother wasn't in on the psychic link.

"Membership in the team does not require that the league provide a mentor." Kaldur patiently explained.

Zatanna nodded. "Damon's not the only one without a mentor. And the team's not just a covert ops group for the league's sidekicks. It's a home for those who don't have one. Superboy, Miss Martian, and I all live at the team's headquarters along with Aqualad when he's not in Atlantis. Since Damon joined the team, he's been living with us there."

**_The league version of a boarding house. _**Mini Me interjected.

Wally laughed. "Flash says the league wasn't entirely sure _what_ to do with Damon. He didn't exactly make it easy for them."

"Oh?" Leosani cocked an eyebrow at him. "What exactly have you been up to Damon…?"

It took some time for all to be explained to her. With the help of the team, Damon told her all that had happened after that night the house blew up. How he'd taken to the streets, and found Naomi. Of the creation of the 'Coyote the Trickster' mantle to save his friends, and the first meeting with the team. They told of their tussle with the Sewer King, of how Coyote saved the lives of Superman and Superboy, and how he had joined the team.

"You mean to tell me they put you on the team without even knowing who you were?" Leosani asked, stunned.

"You bet they did!" Wally laughed. "He basically told them flat out that he was going to be Coyote no matter what, and that even if they did unmask him he'd keep coming back. From what Flash says, there was a lot of debate. Martian Manhunter was the deciding factor."

Seeing Leosani's curious look, he clarified. "Martian's are telepaths. He never actually went into Damon's mind, but he listened in enough to know that Damon wasn't a threat. The fact that he and Robin were friends already helped." He grinned, reaching out to pet Naomi. "That and Damon needed this little lady as much as she needed him. They couldn't separate them."

**_…wow, that mutt actually proved useful! _**Mini Me said, stunned.

**_Why are you surprised? _**Kaldur answered, curious. **_Naomi has often proven her worth to this team. _**

Damon smiled, giving a slight shake of his head as he scratched Naomi's ear. **_Let it be. This is a common theme inside my head. He never liked the fact that we sometimes went with less in order to make sure that Naomi got at least _****something****_ to eat. _**

Artemis chuckled. "The league _still_ doesn't know who the Coyote is."

Leosani starred at the blonde archer. "Then how is it that you all know?"

"Well, our boy wonder over there had a few suspicions for starters." Zatanna answered. "He knew enough about Damon to make an educated guess."

Damon nodded. "I had one more run in with my father." Seeing the horrified look on Leosani's face he was quick to reassure her. "I won. And what injuries I have are healing nicely. Mom and Pops are in jail. After Zatanna saved my life, and the team protected my identity from their mentors, I decided it was about time someone knew my secret. And that that someone should be them. They earned the right to know."

He gave a self deprecating laugh. "They accepted me for who I am, despite all my… oddities."

His grandmother chuckled. "Damon, you know better than that. I never thought of you as odd. Not once in all the years I raised you. You were special, just like every child is special."

**_Ha ha! See? SEE? Even your great grandma thinks you're special!_** Mini Me crowed.

Artemis arched an eyebrow. **_Damon, you are very quickly gaining my respect for putting up with this day in and day out. At least when I'm putting up with motor mouth over there, I have the choice of walking away._**

**_Hey! _**Wally thought back, affronted.

Oblivious to the silent conversation, Leosani smiled and rose. "Well, it seems I owe you all my thanks." She stated. "And I can't think of a better way to _start_ saying thanks than to offer you all a meal. Dinner's in the crock pot and you're all welcome at my table."

Damon looked to Kaldur, his eyes eager but questioning.

Robin silently pulled up his holo-computer. **_No one's noticed yet. I left a nice little red herring for the computers to chase. So long as we get back before our mentors come looking for us, we should be good. _**

Kaldur nodded. Aloud, he answered, "We would be delighted to accept your offer, Mrs. Cliffrunner."

The old woman waved him off. "Please, it's Mamaw or Leosani. I won't answer to anything else." She snorted. "If you insist on being respectful, Grandmother will do. Some of the more overawed youngsters still prefer that one." She bustled out of the room towards what appeared to be the kitchen. "Damon, get my basket." She called over her shoulder.

Damon laughed, heaving himself up off his seat. "Mamaw, you have _hundreds_ of baskets!" He called, but he began dutifully checking the various baskets around the room anyway.

"My sowing basket." Leosani clarified.

Damon stopped, walking over to stick his head in the kitchen doorway. "Mamaw. You carry that thing _everywhere_! How am _I_ supposed to know where you put it?"

"I always put it back." Leosani answered.

The team looked at each other, grinning. These two probably had a few more issues to hash out, but it looked like they'd weathered the worst of it. Damon and his great grandma continued to call back and forth, Leosani calling out places for him to look, and him calling back that her sowing basket was not there.

After the fifteenth spot, Damon gave a frustrated laugh and tossed up his hands. "I give up Mamaw!"

**_Quitter._** Mini Me interjected.

"Well it didn't just grow legs and walk away!" Mamaw yelled back. She bustled back into the room and promptly fished her sowing basket out from underneath the coffee table. She smirked, waving the small basket at Damon.

"You said it was _next_ to the coffee table, not under it." Damon grumbled, pretending to sulk.

Leosani chuckled. "Don't pout Damon." She answered, settling herself in her favorite chair, a big woven basket chair. "Robin, if you would pass me your cape?"

The boy wonder started. "What?"

She held out her hand, fully expecting obedience. "Your cape, if you would pass it here please." She repeated. "It was _my_ dogs that did the damage, and it will be _my_ hands that repair the damage." After a moment's hesitation, the boy wonder detached his cape and handed it over, much to the surprise of his friends.

Leosani nodded. "Thank you." She calmly set to work on his cape, carefully mending the rips and tears in the thick fabric. "Dinner will be ready soon." She said conversationally.

Damon chuckled. "Hey Mamaw? When you wrote that you got dogs, you never mentioned that you got them from the Two-Wolves."

She waved the comment off. "I didn't originally. But those dogs didn't last very long. The Two-Wolves were more than happy to lend me Brand, Shadow, and Vitani." She answered absentmindedly. Pulling her needle out of the fabric, she made an irritated noise when her thread knotted. "So, what are they feeding you at this headquarters of theirs…?"

* * *

LOL, I'm REALLY enjoying writing dear, cantankerous, old Leosani!

Review please!

Until next time...


	24. Untold Secrets

Between school and the local theatre troupe I've joined (we're doing Les Miserables!) I've definitely been burning the candle at both ends. I actually slept through half of my figure drawing class this morning!

Anyway, shout outs to the awesomesauce people: EveningRaven, Molly Grace 16, Kmack13, and SevenSilences! Cookies to the lot of you! (since some are complaining about gaining weight, I'm utilizing awesomeness to create healthy cookies that actually taste good!)

* * *

ENJOY!

* * *

"Oh man, we are so dead…"

**_Hey, that's my line! _**Mini Me fussed.

Damon sat up, peering through the window of the bio-ship at the mountain landing pad. He blanched. Standing there waiting for the bio-ship to land were _all_ the mentors. Batman, Flash, Green Arrow, Martian Manhunter, Aquaman, Black Canary. Even Superman was there, though the way he kept nervously eyeing Batman Damon would've bet money on him not being there of his own free will.

Zatanna sighed, checking her watch as she leaned back in her chair. "Well, we have been gone for about five hours…" she said dryly.

**_So what's our story?_** Wally thought at them to avoid the man of steel's super hearing, nervously jogging in his seat.

Robin spun his chair around to look at his teammates, holo-computer activated. **_The truth._** He answered grimly. **_We took Coyote home to see his family._**

Damon nearly choked. **_Robin…!_**

The boy wonder gave him a look. **_Give them the truth, and nothing more. We took Coyote home to see his family. He trusted us with his secret, and it's _****not****_ our secret to tell. They'll have to abide by that. They can't track the bio ship's course. Not after the havoc I've been wreaking in their systems tonight. _**

Kaldur shook his head. **_Robin, it is not wise to compromise them in such a matter._**

The boy wonder smiled. **_The only thing my hacking impaired was their ability to track the bio ship, and only on this trip. And before you ask, there are measures set in place in case we met up with trouble._**

Mini Me almost sounded impressed. **_Wow. How often do you hack their systems?_**

Kaldur sighed and nodded. **_Agreed._** He answered at last. **_Coyote's identity is his own, as are his secrets. We would be wrong to divulge them without his permission._** To the others he added. **_Do not dishonor them by lying. But do not give that which is not yours to give._**

**_Um, isn't this all kind of a moot point?_** Artemis asked dryly. **_Coyote's kind of pale…_**

Damon's eyes widened as they fell to his hands.

Pale white skin glared back up at him. He'd never re-applied the dye to his hair and skin. If he stepped off this ship right now, they'd know exactly who he was. And that was if the man of steel hadn't peeked already.

An idea suddenly came to mind and he grinned. **_Don't worry about me. _**He thought back at them as he hurriedly unbuckled Naomi. **_There's more than one way to skin a cat. _**

The bio ship finally touched down. M'Gann hesitated for a second, then opened the hatch. Coyote murmured a word under his breath. That grey mist leapt up and enveloped the teen, hiding him from their sight. When it cleared there was nothing left there but the slender, almost effeminate, form of a grey and russet coyote.

The little creature yipped, playfully nipping at Naomi, before darting away down the ramp of the bio ship with the hyena hot on his heels. The league stared. While they knew it was fully within Coyote's capabilities to do so, they had never actually seen him in his 'coyote' form.

Flash shook his head, watching as the two canines raced past him. "Wally, what the heck is going on here?"

The younger speedster zipped up to his mentor. "It's ok Uncle B. We were just running Coyote home for a quick visit with his folks, that's all."

Silence fell, so absolute you could've heard a pin drop.

"He told you?" Green Arrow exclaimed. "He told you who he was? Well who is he, where does he live?"

Artemis snorted. "He told _us_ GA, not _you_." She answered, grimly folding her arms.

Kaldur nodded. "Apologies my king." He said simply. "But it would not be right to break his confidences in us in such a manner."

The other mentors looked as though they were going to get into the act, and from the glow in their eyes it looked like J'onn and M'Gann were apparently already in the midst of having a silent conversation.

"Enough."

Everyone froze at the Dark Knights order. He made his way through the mentors and protégé's to reach his own. The two silently stood toe to toe, Robin gazing up into the white lenses of his mentors cowl. They stood like that for several minutes, then the dark knight turned to the others.

"Let them alone."

Green Arrow sputtered. "Batman, this has gone far enough. We didn't know anything about this kid when we let him on the team, and today he just runs off with our kids for five hours?" he shook his head. "It's time we put our foot down with this one Bats."

Robin was the one to respond. **_Miss M, can you do me a favor?_** He thought at her.

The Martian nodded, doing as he asked. **_Link established_**. She thought back. **_No one but the mentors will hear you. Not even me. _**

Robin nodded. The pint sized ninja began pointing at each of the mentors in turn. **_Oliver Queen. Dinah Lance, Barry Allen, King Orrin, J'onn J'onz, and Clark Kent_**. He stated grimly.

The mentors arched their eyebrows, wondering where this was going.

Robin folded his arms. **_Before someone comments on me getting that information from Batman, or hacking the system, let me make myself clear: I know all your names because you told me or I put the pieces together on my own. The same goes for the team. _**

He switched to speaking out loud. "You put your trust in us when you told us your secret, and taught us to follow your lead. And now we're asking you to trust us in return. Coyote isn't a threat. He's a guy with a rough past who's trying to do some good."

The others nodded.

"Knowing what I do now, I can understand why he wouldn't want to you to know." Artemis commented. "He and his family settled some things today. They've got a lot to work through yet, but they're getting there."

The dark knight placed a hand on his son's shoulder. "The next time you take him home, inform a member of the league first."

* * *

"There ya go, just like I promised."

Damon cast Robin a grateful look, accepting the cell phone. It was nothing special, just a flip phone. But it would get the job done. Robin had promised to encrypt the phone, making it untraceable, and allowing him to more easily stay in touch with his grandmother.

"Thank you." He murmured. Flushing a little, he asked, "Is it alright if I go call her? Let her know the number?"

Wally laughed, grabbing up the remote. "Go on ahead Coyote, we'll pause the movie for ya."

The Indian boy nodded and rose, quietly hurrying into the kitchen to place his call privately. His friends laughed as they watched him go. Due to all the security cameras, the team had agreed it would probably be best if they kept calling him Coyote. Especially after Wally brought it up, and Robin confirmed, that the dynamic duo could read lips.

_Recognize. Artemis. B. Zero. Seven. _

The blonde archer trotted through the zeta tubes. She was dressed in jeans and a white tank top, a dark brown jacket over the top. She made her way over to the couch and leaned over the back, eyeing the screen.

"What are you watching?"

Wally grinned up at her. "Introducing the others to 'Rise of The Guardians'. Even Rob hasn't seen this one yet."

She grinned, walking around the couch to grab herself a seat. "Great. How far along are you?"

"Cupcake just got beamed in the face." Wally answered. He shrugged gesturing to a book on the table. The cover had a picture of a man in a red coat with a pair of swords, a little girl dressed in yellow standing in front of him. "The movie's pretty good, but the books are better in my opinion. I'm lending them to Kaldur and Zee."

Artemis arched her eyebrows. "You bought the books?"

"What? They were good!" Wally defended.

She shook her head. "Geek."

"Um…guys?" The team turned. Coyote was standing in the doorway to the kitchen, one hand over the mouth piece of his cell phone. He smiled uncertainly. "I told her about our reception when we returned, and about the league's stipulation. She was wondering if we could come out there again. The whole team."

Wally craned his neck to see over the back of the couch. "She gonna cook for us again?"

Coyote laughed. "Yes Wally, she's invited us for dinner."

The red headed speedster fist pumped. "Yes, I am _so_ in! When did she want us out there?"

Coyote moved his hand so he could speak into the phone. "Well you had Kid Flash at food. They'll have to check with their mentors though. When did you want us out?" He listened a moment, then nodded. "Ok. I'll get back to you on that… What?...No, I don't know if they have any allergies. I'll ask." He put his hand over the mouthpiece again. "Any of you got any allergies she should know about?"

The others shook their heads.

Coyote suddenly smiled and moved his hand again. "No food allergies, but don't light any candles ok? Miss M's got a thing against fire…yeah, she can't stand it…Ok, I'll get back to you when I know more about times they're free…Love you too."

"So when does she want us over?" Wally asked excitedly once Coyote had hung up the phone.

The Indian boy laughed. "It's pretty much an open invitation, whenever you're all free to go."

"How about Thursday night?" Artemis suggested.

A flurry of activity followed as the various protégé's got in touch with their mentors and or parents, asking permission to have dinner with Coyote and his family that Thursday, for lack of a better day.

It took a little convincing with some of them, but in the end, all were given permission to go.

* * *

Yay, two or three more chapters and this story will be done!...due to frequently asked questions and the popularity of this character... I might be doing some one shots to explain some things, such as where Naomi came from and such like that. But I need a name for the one shot series. Got any ideas?

Review!

Until next time...


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